The Idaho Business Review (Boise, ID)

November 7, 2008

NEWS

157 words

$60,000 donation helps Idaho Foodbank with rising costs

IBR Staff Report

Wal-Mart said today it plans to give $60,000 to the Idaho Foodbank to help fund its Backpacks for Kids program, which provides children with meals to take home from school on the weekends. While the backpacks full of food cost an average of $4.71 last year, the cost rose 36 percent to approximately $6.42 this year.

The food bank would like to provide 1,100 to 1,200 backpacks per week. It estimates it will cost $250,000 to continue the program in the 2008-09 school year.

"It is important that we continue to provide food to these hungry children and as a private charitable non-profit, generous support from companies like Wal-Mart will be essential in ensuring we are able to continue this vital program," food bank President and Executive Director Roger Simon said in a release.

Wal-Mart's charitable work is guided by a philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally. Idaho is the 13th hungriest state, according to the food bank.

November 10, 2008