Walmart Foundation grant to MOWAA helps feed seniors through Highland County Community Action

Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. has been award $15,000 through a Walmart Foundation grant to the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA). The money will provide the HCCAO Senior Nutrition Program with a much-needed Hot Shot delivery vehicle, which is critical to continue serving seniors in this rural county.

This financial support is desperately needed, as many Meals On Wheels programs across the country are struggling to survive during this economic downturn. The "Walmart Foundation Impact Grant" is intended to help HCCAO continue to meet the long-term equipment needs of providing meals to our seniors in Highland County.

Last year, many Meals On Wheels programs were forced to change or reduce their services, but the Walmart Foundation stepped in to help restore those meals. This year, the Walmart Foundation is spending more than $2 million nationwide to make sure Meals On Wheels programs have the equipment they need to maintain their operations into the future.

"Seniors have been hit especially hard in this economy, and we feel a responsibility to help," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation. "We're proud to support Meals on Wheels programs across the U.S. who work on the front lines of ending senior hunger."

"Thanks to the Walmart Foundation Impact Grant, we now have better tools to keep feeding seniors for years to come," said Julia Wise, Executive Director of HCCAO, Inc. "This grant will help us provide the next meal to many of our seniors. This truck, which is being purchased through Jerry Haag Motors of Hillsboro, will be equipped with both refrigeration and heating units, which will allow us to keep temperatures consistent from the time they leave the kitchen until they are delivered to our seniors.

In 2009, our organization provided over 34,876 home-delivered meals to seniors throughout our county. A survey we conducted in January of this year indicates that for over 30% of the seniors we provide a home-delivered meal to each day, this meal is the only true meal they have to eat all day long. We are very appreciative of the support of the Meals On Wheels Association of America and the Walmart Foundation, as well as Steve Haag of Jerry Haag Motors, for their assistance in making this purchase a reality."

"The Walmart Foundation has once again stepped up to the plate as a powerful partner in the fight to end senior hunger," said Enid Borden, president and CEO of MOWAA. "They are our largest corporate partner to date, and their support will make a tremendous impact in helping our programs sustain meal services well into the future. We can't thank the Walmart Foundation enough for joining us in our national movement to end senior hunger in America by 2020."

Late last year, MOWAA released a groundbreaking study revealing six million seniors in America face the risk of hunger. The report, entitled "Senior Hunger in the United States: Differences Across States and Rural and Urban Areas" was sponsored by MOWAA and shows that the number of seniors facing the hunger risk jumped an astonishing 20 percent in just one year. The Walmart Impact Grant Program is intended to help combat the problem of senior hunger.

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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. Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, the Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on creating sustainability and health and wellness. From Feb. 1, 2009 through Jan. 31, 2009, Walmart, and its domestic and international foundations, gave more than $423 million in cash and in-kind gifts globally.

To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.