Wal-Mart embarks on CSR drive this Christmas

18 Dec '08

4 min read

Throughout the holiday season, Wal-Mart stores around the world are giving back to their local communities. From associate volunteering to in-store fundraising, Wal-Mart and its associates are doing their part this Christmas to help people in need.

“It is a joy to see our markets around the world helping people live better during this special time of year,” said Mike Duke, vice chairman, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “Given the state of the global economy, we recognize that our commitment to the communities we serve is even more important to our associates and customers.”

In Brazil, Wal-Mart supports local children's shelters during the holiday season, helping more than 10,000 children receive presents on Christmas Day last year and anticipate touching the lives of even more children this December. In addition, through the “Volunteer Classified” program, associates are connected with organizations their foundation supports and are able to work with them directly.

Wal-Mart Brazil, as well as its customers and associates, continues food donations throughout the holidays to food banks, with more than 2,000 tons of food already collected this year.

In Mexico, Wal-Mart has created special shops, located in the parking lots of 400 retail stores, where customers and associates can adopt children or elderly people and purchase toys or a kilogram of rice or bean seeds to help their nutrition. Wal-Mart associates will deliver the presents and the bags of seeds in time for Christmas through local charitable institutions.

Winter clothing is also being collected through Suburbia stores nationwide and will be distributed through the Red Cross. In addition, for every two items of clothing collected, Fundación Wal-Mart in Mexico will donate one bag of seeds to also help with nutritional needs in the communities.

At Mexico Sam's Clubs, associates are offering members the opportunity to take photos with Santa. The more than $20,000 raised will be used to buy nearly 50,000 toys for TV Azteca's “Jugueton” holiday toy event.

In Puerto Rico, Wal-Mart's “Keep a Soul Warm During Christmas,” in partnership with “Community Initiative,” a non-government organization specializing in helping the homeless, local TV channels 2, 4 and 11, and a group of local artists, customers are encouraged to buy quilts at Wal-Mart stores that will be donated to homeless people to keep them warm during the winter season.

Wal-Mart Puerto Rico will also donate funds to “Community Initiative” to assist with other programs for the homeless. In addition, Wal-Mart Puerto Rico will be working with The Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle Campaign.

In Canada, this year Wal-Mart hosted The Salvation Army's first-ever National Kettle Launch at various stores across the country, marking the beginning of The Salvation Army's 2008 Christmas Campaign. The Salvation Army and Wal-Mart associates will ring the bells and invite customersto support the annual campaign, which will run from Nov. 19 through Christmas Eve in hundreds of stores nationwide.

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