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The Walmart Foundation Provides More Than 250,000 Americans with Access to School Breakfast and Nutrition Education


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Grants to five national nonprofits help children and adults of all ages live better, healthier lives


BENTONVILLE, Ark., – Today, the Walmart Foundation kicked off National Nutrition Month and National School Breakfast Week by announcing $6.7 million in grants to five national nonprofit organizations that are providing children with school breakfast and helping families develop better eating habits. The grants are part of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s $2 billion cash and in-kind commitment through 2015 to help fight hunger in America and Walmart’s 2011 initiative to provide customers with healthier and more affordable food choices.

Grants to Action for Healthy Kids and the American Association of School Administrators will support programs that help more children start their school day with a morning meal, providing them with the nutritional substance they need to learn and grow. Additional grants to Common Threads, the Gaston & Porter Health Improvement Center and the National 4-H Council will fund programs that empower people of all ages with the education and training they need to identify, shop for and prepare healthier meals.

“Through Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s ongoing commitment to help Americans live better, we are working to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable to children and adults across the nation,” said Julie Gehrki, senior director of the Walmart Foundation. “Many Americans are not making a well-balanced diet part of their daily routine. According to the Centers for Disease Control, only 25 percent of adults, and even fewer children, eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day. Through these grants, we are proud to partner with nonprofits to assure families not only have access to the healthy food they need, but also are empowered with the knowledge to develop and maintain better eating habits so they can live long and healthy lives.”

In addition to not eating enough fruits and vegetables, most Americans do not get enough whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk products in their diets, and are consuming too much fat, sweetened beverages and sodium.i Yet, a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that nutrition education programs can make a significant contribution to improving dietary habits.ii

The Walmart Foundation grants are expected to reach 250,000 Americans across the country over the next two years through the following programs:

Nonprofit - Grant Amount - Grant Overview

*Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK): $1 million

Provide 30,000 children at 100 schools nationwide with breakfast and nutrition education programs through the Universal Breakfast for Healthy Kids Campaign.

*American Association of School Administrators (AASA): $2.5 million

Implement a universal breakfast program in six urban school districts to help feed 132,000 children over the next two years.

*Common Threads: $720,000

Increase nutritional literacy and cooking skills among 20,000 low-income children and their families with a year-round program that will be expanded to 20 schools in both Chicago and Miami, which have some of the highest rates of childhood obesity, poverty and food insecurity in the nation.

*Gaston & Porter Health Improvement Center (GPHIC): $500,000

Expand nutrition education for current participants, graduates and facilitators in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area, and Philadelphia of Prime Time Sister Circles®, a culturally-competent intervention program designed for African American women ages 40-75.

*National 4-H Council (4-H): $2 million

Educate 74,000 at-risk children and their families about nutritional choices and food security challenges by expanding nutrition education programming in 22 states.


Well-known dietitian and Cordon Bleu-certified chef Michelle Dudash has joined forces with Walmart to kick off National Nutrition Month and help raise awareness about the importance of school breakfast and nutrition education programs. Michelle offers unique insight and easy-to-follow tips that can help every family make nutritious eating choices.

“When it comes to eating healthy, knowing where to start can be the hardest part,” said Michelle Dudash, who recently released the bestselling cookbook Clean Eating for Busy Families. "Nutrition education provides a foundation to understand what foods to buy and how to prepare meals that are part of a well-balanced diet. By following simple steps as you shop and cook, all families can come together every day to eat meals that are healthy, kid-friendly and delicious.”

To learn more about Walmart’s commitment to fighting hunger and nutrition education, visit: www.walmartfoundation.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 and Nutrition, Sustainability, Workforce 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. To date, Walmart has donated more than 1 billion pounds of food to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.


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i USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Diet Quality of Low-Income and Higher Income Americans in 2003-04 as Measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2005. Nutrition Insight 42, December 2008.

ii Nutrition Education and Promotion: The Role of FNS in Helping Low-income Families Make Healthier Eating and Lifestyle Choices. (2010). U.S. Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition Service.



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