FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Zena Weist, Director of Marketing
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913.433.2045

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF NORTHEAST KANSAS RECEIVES WALMART FOUNDATION GRANT

(Overland Park, KS) – The Walmart Foundation awarded Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas a 2015 State Giving grant of $43,736. A total of $450,000 was distributed to 12 nonprofits in Kansas to support vital local programs.

“We are humbled by the grant received from the Walmart State Giving Program,” said Ken Williams, CEO, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. Grant funds will augment the agency’s ability to equitably distribute food, particularly healthy food and produce items, to the agency’s nine food pantries, meeting the most basic needs of 186,250 Kansans facing food insecurity.

These funds will also be used to support Catholic Charities’ New Roots for Refugees program, where produce grown by refugee farmers will be “purchased” and distributed via the agency’s food pantries, increasing the availability of healthy food while supporting refugees on their pathway to self-sufficiency.

Twice a year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation look for organizations in Kansas that significantly address the communities’ needs. “At Walmart, we recognize the importance of supporting organizations that make a profound impact in the communities we serve,” said Annemarie Browning, Walmart regional general manager. “Through our partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the state, we are able to address issues such as hunger and economic opportunity to make a lasting impact on Kansas residents.”

In 2014, the Walmart Foundation awarded $11.1 million in cash and in-kind contributions in Kansas. The donations of cash, food, refrigerated trucks, mobile pantries and other resources are changing lives across America. In 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation launched “Fighting Hunger Together” – a $2 billion cash and inkind commitment through 2015 to fight hunger in America. This initiative leverages Walmart’s size and resources to provide nutritious food and the Walmart Foundation’s ability to grant funding to nonprofits that help elevate the issue.

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About Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas

Founded in 1956, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is a nonprofit, faith-based health and human services agency that assists annually people of all faiths in our community. Catholic Charities serves 21 counties in northeast Kansas with service site locations in Atchison, Emporia, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Kansas City, KS, Olathe, Overland Park, Topeka and two traveling Resource Buses. Our goal is to offer tangible hope to our neighbors in need by helping families move from a situation of poverty and anxiety to one of self-sufficiency and stability. For more information, please visit catholiccharitiesks.org.

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