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Share Our Strength Receives $4 Million Grant from the Walmart Foundation

For Immediate Release - February 6, 2012

Contacts: Anne Houseman | ahouseman@strength.org | O: 202.478.6513

Share Our Strength Receives $4 Million Grant from the Walmart Foundation to Support Nutrition Education
Grant Supports Anti-Hunger Group's Cooking Matters and Shopping Matters programs

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 6, 2012)-Today, Share Our Strength® announced it has received a $4 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to help low-income American families at risk of hunger shop for and cook healthy meals. This grant is part of a $9.5 million nationwide donation to support nutrition education programs in local communities.

The donation will support Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters®, a program that teaches families at risk of hunger how to get more food for their money and better nourishment from those foods. With the help of volunteer culinary and nutrition experts, Cooking Matters offers six-week cooking and nutrition courses and hour-long Shopping Matters® grocery store tours. Cooking Matters plays an essential role in Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® Campaign--a national effort to end childhood hunger in America. The No Kid Hungry Campaign connects children at risk of hunger to the healthy foods they need every day by increasing access to public food and nutrition programs and educating families about how to get more from their food resources and put healthy meals on the table.

A new survey released by Share Our Strength found that 89% of low-income families shop at a discount retailer like Walmart at least once a month. Of the 1,500 food decision-makers surveyed, 85 percent rated eating healthy meals as important to their families.

"Together, we can help families find practical and affordable solutions to make healthy food choices easy choices," said Bill Shore, Founder and CEO of Share Our Strength. "Walmart's support for Cooking Matters is an important step in helping Americans live healthier lives."

In January 2011, Walmart, alongside First Lady Michelle Obama, announced an initiative to provide customers with healthier and more affordable food choices. This effort includes a commitment to increase funding for nutrition programs that help educate consumers about healthier food choices

"At Walmart we are committed to helping our customers make healthier decisions whether that's through their in-store experience or through taking a class focused on nutrition education," said Andrea Thomas, senior vice president of sustainability at Walmart. "With this grant to Share Our Strength, more Americans will have access to nutrition education classes, cooking demonstrations and nutritional recipes--essential tools to living a healthier life."

Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters will reach more than 38,000 families at risk of hunger as a result of Walmart's grant. The program is nationally sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Walmart.

To learn more about Walmart's commitment to nutrition education, visit: http://www.walmartstores.com/healthyliving

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About Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign--a national effort to end childhood hunger in America--Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people live better around the globe. In May 2010, Walmart and its Foundation made a historic pledge of $2 billion through 2015 to fight hunger in the U.S. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

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