Tracey Lloyd returned as a hero from her tour of duty in Iraq. She also returned as a mature, confident young woman who knew a lot about leadership and what it takes to get any job done. And that background gave her exactly what any company looks for in their leadership. At a hiring conference, she had her choice of companies she could work for, and after weighing the possibilities, she chose Walmart. To her, one major part of Walmart’s philosophy stood out. “I wanted to be part of an organization that believes in developing people,” she says. That’s something she now does every day as a Walmart store manager.
Walmart is one of the top employers of U.S. veterans
Tracey also enjoys the opportunities Walmart offers her to get involved in community service. In that sense, she’s like many other Walmart associates across the country. Whether the issue is health care, economic challenges or sustainability, Walmart encourages associates to get involved and use their skills to make a real difference in their communities, particularly in programs that address hunger, homelessness, education, job training and other basic needs.
A case in point is Walmart’s emphasis on charitable giving at the local level, where it can have the greatest impact on people’s lives. In fiscal year ending January 31, 2010, Walmart’s customers and associates in the U.S. gave more than $76 million through giving programs that benefit local charities. In that same time frame, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $467 million in cash and in-kind gifts.1
True, most of our associates will never become heroes on the fields of battle, but they can become heroes to other people in their stores and in their neighborhoods. Tracey Lloyd just happens to be a shining example of both.
To learn more about what Walmart associates are doing to make lives better for their customers, neighbors and each other, visit Walmartcommunity.com.
