HARRISONBURG,VA. — The Walmart Foundation, through its State Giving Program, will renew support for youth facing adversity with a $40,000 grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County. The Foundation award is the second consecutive to the local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency, which received $25,000 in 2013. The funds will provide enhanced school-based mentoring services and support early literacy initiatives for at least 110 local children in 2014. The grant was formally announced at a Tuesday, February 18 employee meeting at the Walmart Distribution Center in Mount Crawford.
Photo: Jeff Furman, Director of Operations for the Walmart Distribution Center in Mount Crawford and former BBBS Board of Directors President presents a $40,000 grant from the Walmart State Giving Program to BBBS Executive Director Sue Totty and current Board President Kevin Flint.
“Walmart is extremely pleased to support the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County,” said Brooke Mueller, Director of Public Affairs for Walmart. “Our grant will support Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring services and early literacy initiatives, which will serve as an important foundation for children in the community as they continue to build toward a successful future, “said Mueller.
The award enhances the long-standing relationships that the three local Walmart facilities have had with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Through Walmart’s Local Giving Program and Volunteerism Always Pays grants, the combined value of monetary and in-kind contributions from the local Distribution Center and two retail locations in Dayton and at Harrisonburg Crossing have exceeded $20,000 over the past six years. The partnership has also provided board leadership, volunteer mentors, and fundraising support to the agency through employee participation in the agency’s annual fundraiser, Bowl for Kids’ Sake.
The grant will partially offset a reduction in the availability of federal grant funds to support programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters. Without a diversification in funding, the decrease could limit the number of children able to be matched in the program in the coming year.
“These funds come at a critical time for our agency,” explains Sue Totty, Executive Director of the Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in Harrisonburg. “With this gift, the Walmart Foundation is helping to ensure that we can continue to provide services to the most vulnerable children in our community and increase the odds that they will reach their full potential.”
As an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation’s premiere donor-and-volunteer supported youth mentoring network, the local agency served 791 children in 2013 by matching them in professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships with caring adults. Evaluation data shows that children enrolled in the local program consistently experience improvements in academic performance, avoidance of risky behaviors, and increased self-esteem.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County is a youth-services organization that pairs adult mentors in professionally guided, one-to-one matches with children facing adversity. As an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, the organization holds itself accountable for children in the program to achieve positive, measurable outcomes through research-based methods. Among other improvements, local evaluation data shows that children served progress academically, avoid delinquency, and experience increased self-confidence. Founded locally in 1976 as an outreach of Trinity Presbyterian Church, the organization is the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the state ofVirginia, serving 791 youth in 2013. For more information, please call 540.433.8886 or visit www.bbbshr.org.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Together, they have donated more than 1 billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit http://foundation.walmart.com.