Walmart, Tyson Foods announce donations to help government shutdown victims

Walmart and Tyson Foods, two of the region’s largest employers, each announced large commitments of money and food Thursday (Jan. 24) to help the more 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Retail giant Walmart announced $300,000 to support programs addressing critical needs of federal workers impacted from the month-long government shutdown. The funds given by Walmart will be split evenly between the following three organizations — Feeding America’s Shutdown Response Fund, United Way for U.S. Fund and the Coast Guard Foundation.

Walmart said the organizations are experiencing an increase in demand for their services particularly in the areas hardest hit by the shutdown.

“As the government shutdown continues, many impacted workers have turned to support organizations to help put meals on tables, pay utility bills and even cover healthcare costs,” said Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Walmart.

“While our support to food banks happens year-round with in-kind food donations from our stores, we felt it important to not only build on that commitment, but also offer extra support to our Coast Guard families, and to the United Way, who just yesterday launched the United for U.S. Fund to provide financial relief to those in affected communities.”

Tyson Foods said it plans to donate and deliver 85 tons of foods — equal to 685,000 meals — to the Washington, D.C, area to help those in need, including the furloughed federal workers.

The company said social service agencies are experiencing increased demand for assistance in the weeks after the government shutdown, so the company is making deliveries to a food bank, a community kitchen and a non- group that supports military service members and their families.

“As the largest U.S. food company, we want to do our part to help federal workers and their families who have been going without pay due to the shutdown,” said Justin Whitmore, executive vice president of continuous improvement and chief sustainability officer for Tyson Foods. “We are committed to hunger relief in the United States, and whether a community is struggling with hunger, food insecurity or natural disaster, we’re there to help where help is needed the most.”

The food deliveries will include: three truckloads of chicken to the Capital Area Food Bank over the next three weeks, a follow-up shipment of 14,000 pounds of chicken late this month to the D.C. Central Kitchen, and a 40,000-pound truckload of chicken to benefit coast guard workers and their families.