Walmart / Feeding America PSA
This morning, the New York Times and the Chronicle of Philanthropy broke the story that Walmart has pledged $2 Billion in food and cash over the next five years to US food banks to fight hunger. Seems pretty good, right? After all, one in six Americans – 49 million people – are going hungry in the US every single day. Feeding America and others are responding to Walmart’s plans with gratitude.
But I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can already hear the knives being sharpened by the causenocenti – the insiders who want to put purity of intent before results. With Walmart’s sometimes spotty labor or environmental record, they’re an easy target for purists. But the fact of the matter is this isn’t a marketing campaign. It’s an act of charity.
The funds – $250 million in cash, are coming from the Walmart Foundation. This isn’t a brand new idea they just cooked up – the foundation has been contributing to fight hunger in the US since 2006, and this year was recognized as Feeding America’s Donor of the Year. This isn’t KFC and Komen - though that marketing program will deliver $8 million to fight breast cancer. This looks like a plan to alleviate real suffering, right now.
I’m expecting folks to ask about whether this gift will really help address the problem of hunger. And I’m not expert enough to know, but no, I don’t think this addresses the systemic economic and social problem.
It will feed people though.
Some of the initial money will be spent to build more storage facilities to house the food donations as they arrive. More will be spent to make the current food bank supply chains more effective – something Walmart knows a lot about.
One in eight of us, right here in America, rely on food banks to make ends meet.
Let’s receive this for what it is, an openly generous act that addresses an urgent problem.
At least, that’s what I think – what do you think?
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Tags: #sheesh, charity, community, Feeding America, food bank, giving, Walmart
We sometimes focus on the motive rather than the results. Especially, when a gift comes from a large corporation.
What is Walmart up to? What’s in it for them? These questions fester in our minds during a time where we question every decision made when large sums of money is involved. Wall Street bailouts, automotive bailouts, you name it — we are throwing money around like it’s candy.
But, this is different. This time we help those in need — everyday Americans.
Kudos to Walmart for making a bold move to donate $2 billion in the next five years to help feed America. We need all the assistance we can get to end hunger and poverty in America.
Which company will be next to make a donation?
Noland Hoshino
Wal-Mart’s $2 billion contribution – cash, product and smart thinking to help foodbanks become more efficient is a solid, focused corporate citizenship action. I applaud them for taking this significant, integrated approach to helping put more food into the nation’s food bank distribution system.
The next step to evolve this commitment, started in 2005, would be to attack some of the root causes of hunger in this country through innovative grants funding social entrepreneurs and established ngo’s.
Thanks Noland and Carol! I agree that it’s good corporate citizenship on Walmart’s part, and that there’s still a long way to go in fighting the root causes of hunger. Looking forward to watching Walmart lead others to rise to the challenge.
I have been struggling with my comment as I have taken up both sides of the Wal-Mart argument both for and against their initiatives.
As someone who has seen the hunger first hand I can assure you immediate relief is all you think about. I am certain the person that needs that relief is not caring what brand brought it.
I liked Chris your statements and the one that hits home is “It will feed people…” In the big scheme of things, that is really the bottom line.
I think Wal-Mart may have motives and certainly many companies do, not just the Fortune 1 (I say that every chance I get). Motives or not, $2 with a “B” Billion is far better than the 10 cents a product here or there. Companies all over should be watching this move.
We see this now perhaps as a paradigm shift in corporate America. Maybe not a $50M ad campaign on the day of the Super Bowl but a 5 dollar meal in the hands of someone that cares. That is a campaign I can stand for.
I think this is a positive gesture by Wal-Mart, it’s always going to be difficult to know for sure that the right people get the benefits of it. Even so it’s got to be better than doing nothing.