Walmart Foundation Grants NCLR $1.2 Million to Provide a Pathway to Latino Employment

WASHINGTON - NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to invest in job training programs that will prepare Latino workers for quality, upwardly mobile careers in the retail and green jobs sectors.

The grant comes at a time when rising unemployment continues to disproportionately affect Latinos. According to March 2010 unemployment figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 12.6 percent of Hispanics were unemployed, compared to 9.7 percent of the overall labor force.

“High unemployment rates among Latinos has made it crucial for NCLR and its partners to create sustainable programs and models that enable Latino workers to gain a stronger foothold in the workforce and the economy,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “This grant will enable NCLR to engage its community-based Affiliates in putting Latino families back to work.”

Specifically, the Walmart grant will fund the work of 10 NCLR community-based Affiliates that will facilitate NCLR’s Careers in Customer Service and Retail Initiative and Green Jobs Initiative. Both programs provide industry-specific training and career readiness that are responsive to the needs of Latinos and other underserved communities.

“This support of NCLR will address unemployment in the Latino community while teaching cutting-edge skills to those who need them most,” said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation. “As a long-time partner, we are committed to helping NCLR prepare workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow"

The NCLR Affiliate organizations that will receive funding are:

* Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (New York, NY)
* Mi Casa Resource Center (Denver, CO)
* Hacienda Community Development Corporation (Portland, OR)
* Spanish Speaking Citizens’ Foundation (Oakland, CA)
* Spanish Catholic Center (Washington, DC)
* Avenida Guadalupe Association (San Antonio, TX)
* Association House of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
* El Barrio (Cleveland, OH)
* Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES) (Minneapolis, MN)
* Connecticut Puerto Rican Forum (Hartford, CT)

For more information, please visit www.nclr.org | www.facebook.com/nationalcounciloflaraza | www.myspace.com/nclr2008 | http://twitter.com/nclr

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About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. The Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. From February 1, 2009 through January 31, 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $512 million in cash and in-kind gifts globally, $467 million of which was donated in the U.S. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.