Published:
Wal-Mart Foundation Donates $5 Million to YouthBuild USA to Re-engage Out-of-School Youth Nationwide
BENTONVILLE, Ark., May 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In line with its
commitment to make education a top priority in 2008, the Wal-Mart Foundation
today announced a $5 million grant to YouthBuild USA. The grant is the
largest given to the organization at one time by a corporation. YouthBuild USA
provides low-income youth who left high school without a diploma the
opportunity to resume their education, earning a GED or diploma while
simultaneously developing marketable job skills. The retailer's grant to the
nonprofit organization will allow 2,000 students to enroll in nearly 60
YouthBuild programs across the country, includingPhiladelphia,Portland,New
Orleans,Austin andSt. Louis. Through these programs, YouthBuild students
will build at least 100 units of affordable housing for low-income families in
Wal-Mart communities nationwide.
"The Wal-Mart Foundation is committed to providing opportunities so people
can live better," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation.
"By supporting YouthBuild USA, not only are we supporting young people in
their efforts to improve their own lives, but we're also aiding their efforts
to improve the living conditions of low-income families across the country."
YouthBuild engages young people ages 16-24 to rebuild their lives and
their communities by enrolling students in YouthBuild alternative schools to
earn their diplomas or GEDs. In addition to their work in the classroom,
YouthBuild students also learn hands-on construction skills while building
houses for homeless and low-income families. Since 1994, 76,000 YouthBuild
students have completed more than 17,000 units of affordable housing in 226 of
America's poorest communities.
YouthBuild programs increasingly use and teach "green" building techniques
to protect the environment and make YouthBuild graduates more competitive in
an industry with an increasing focus on sustainability. Part of the Wal-Mart
Foundation's grant to YouthBuild USA will be used to expand local programs'
ability to utilize sustainable building techniques.
"This is the largest single grant from a corporate foundation that
YouthBuild has ever received. Wal-Mart is choosing to generously support a
national network of community-based organizations working in America's poorest
communities to give all youth a chance -- an education, a job, a career, a set
of positive values, a purpose," said Dorothy Stoneman, president and founder
of YouthBuild USA. "This powerful new collaboration between The Wal-Mart
Foundation and YouthBuild USA will help expand this proven solution for one of
America's most challenging problems."
The Wal-Mart Foundation presented its $5 million contribution to
YouthBuild USA at a YouthBuild construction site inPhiladelphia, where
students are completing gut rehabilitation on three homes for low-income
homeowners. InPhiladelphia alone, Wal-Mart's donation is providing 400
at-risk youth with education opportunities and a chance to improve their local
community.
"A lot of people have a negative view of youth," said Carreather
Atcherson, 19, YouthBuild Philadelphia student. "The projects we complete as
part of the YouthBuild program are great examples of youth doing really
positive things for our communities. YouthBuild USA and the generous
organizations that sponsor it are helping us prove that young people really
can make a difference."
For a complete list of the 59 YouthBuild sites that will be receiving
Wal-Mart Foundation support, please visit Walmartfoundation.org.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week, millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters,
Neighborhood Markets, and Sam's Club locations across America. The company and
its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart
(NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and
associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than
$296 million to localUnited States communities. To learn more, visit
http://www.walmartfacts.com, http://www.walmart.com, or
http://www.walmartfoundation.org.
About YouthBuild USA
YouthBuild is a youth and community development program that
simultaneously addresses core issues facing low-income communities: housing,
education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development. In
YouthBuild programs, low-income young people ages 16-24 work full-time for 6
to 24 months toward their GED or high school diploma while learning job skills
by building affordable housing for homeless and low-income people and
participating in leadership development activities in their communities.
There are 226 local, autonomous YouthBuild programs in 42 states, the
District of Columbia,Puerto Rico, and theVirgin Islands, engaging
approximately 8,000 young adults each year. YouthBuild USA is the national
intermediary and support center for this network. In this role, YouthBuild USA
orchestrates advocacy for public funding, guidance and quality assurance in
program implementation, leadership opportunities for youth and staff, research
to understand best practices, and grants and loans to YouthBuild affiliates.
YouthBuild USA recently received the international Skoll Award for social
entrepreneurship and has been named as one of America's 12 best non-profits in
the book "Forces for Good." For more information, visit
http://www.youthbuild.org
SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Copyright © 2009, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2009, NewsBlaze,
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