Community News
February 2nd, 2012
This weekend, a number of the area’s best-known charter captains will present free seminars at the Walmart Supercenter in Englewood (2931 S. McCall Road). The seminars are part of their second fishing expo (the first was held in October). There’ll be more after this, according to store manager Jim Garrard. ‘We plan to hold the seminars four or five times a year,’ he says. ‘The subjects will change with the fishing seasons. I think this expo will be better than the first one, because we are always looking for ideas to expand and make the seminars more beneficial.’ Walmart, which has taken a lot flak over the past few years for edging mom-and-pop shops out of business, seems like an odd venue for a fishing expo. But Jim wanted to do something that would benefit local folks, rather than just boost Walmart’s bottom line.
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February 2nd, 2012
Shoppers flocked to the North Huntingdon Walmart last week, as the store opened its doors for the first time. About 10,000 shoppers visited the store during its opening week, according to Marcy Park, manager of Walmart’s Pittsburgh regional market. “We did a lot more business than we anticipated, which is something we’re very happy about,” Park said. “This store has been a long time coming, and we’re getting a very good response from the community.” North Huntingdon police did not encounter any problems with traffic leading to the new store during its first week, according to police chief Michael Daugherty. “The store has been busy, and we haven’t had the traffic congestion we expected,” Daugherty said.
Read more at the Norwin Star
February 2nd, 2012
A nonprofit that works to feed the hungry in southern New Mexico has received a new truck, courtesy of the Walmart Foundation. The southern branch of Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico will use the $90,000 vehicle to deliver food to entities in its food pantry program and pick up donations. The group said it will help increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables that can be delivered to people. “It puts more food into the mouths of some of our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Melody Wattenbarger, president and CEO of Roadrunner Food Bank.
Read more at Las Cruces Sun-Report
February 2nd, 2012
Walmart has shot to third place on the EPA’s rankings of the country’s top green power purchasers, from 15th place just last quarter. The Green Power Partnership ranking, for the retailer’s Texas and California facilities alone, pushes Whole Foods down to fourth place. According to the EPA’s data, Walmart’s facilities in the two states use 872,382,088 kWh of green power a year, or 28 percent of their total electricity use. These Walmart facilities also rank second among retailers, second among on-site green power generators and third among Fortune 500 companies on the EPA’s lists.
Read more at EnvironmentalLeader.com
February 2nd, 2012
The folks at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club know how to give. And give. The Salvation Army this week announced that its 2011 Red Kettle Campaign raised a record $147.6 million, up 3.4% over 2010. And it gave special acknowledgements to some of the folks (and corporate partners) who made it possible. Of the total, 32% came from kettles at Wal-Mart ($41.5 million) and Sam’s Club ($5 million), and 9% came from kettles at Kroger ($13.1 million). JCPenney and Big Lots customers pitched in too, adding $3.3 million and $1.4 million respectively to the coffers. Salvation Army Commissioner William Roberts said in the charity’s announcement: “In troubling times, we are truly grateful for the generosity of the American donor to support the traditions of the campaign and help the Salvation Army carry on its mission.” But there’s more than one way to put money in a kettle.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times
February 1st, 2012
Companies looking to save money by going green may be willing to fire suppliers who don’t act quickly to help, a nonprofit group called the Carbon Disclosure Project reported after surveying Coca-Cola Co. and others. The number of multinationals planning to dump vendors within five years for missing environmental targets more than doubled to 39 percent in 2011, according to a report today. The study, released in London by Accenture Plc and the nonprofit, involved 50 respondents, also including Kraft Foods Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The report didn’t name any of the companies planning to dismiss suppliers. Companies such as Wal-Mart require vendors to reduce everything from water usage to carbon emissions as a means of cutting operational expenses and the cost of goods. Investors are paying attention, ranking companies on how well they enforce reductions and lock in savings.
Read more at Bloomberg
February 1st, 2012
The Salvation Army says it set a new fundraising record with its 2011 Red Kettle campaign during the holidays, raising $147.6 million across the nation. That record is a 3.4 percent increase over 2010′s campaign amount of $142 million. The Red Kettle campaign is now 120 years old, dating its beginnings to 1891 on San Francisco’s wharf. The donations support social services. Nearly a third of the total came from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores, where bell ringers collected $41.5 million.
Read more at the Washington Post
February 1st, 2012
Businesses are starting to understand what development experts have long known: investing in women pays dividends. Women are more likely than men to put their income back into their communities, driving illiteracy and mortality rates down and GDP up. Now a corporate revolution is at hand, one that is moving beyond philanthropy, making women partners in business at all levels. This was an important theme at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, which hosted a plenary session entitled “Women as the Way Forward” on the potential impact of women on the global economy. Recently, Walmart has pledged to source more than $20 billion from women-owned companies in the United States alone, and Coca-Cola announced a program, 5 By 20, to support 5 million women entrepreneurs globally by 2020.
Read more at the Daily Beast
February 1st, 2012
Store manager Yolanda Horton’s bright smile and cheerful confidence have become regular features at the Newton Wal-Mart — ones that undoubtedly will be missed by customers and her co-workers now that she’s been transferred to another store. Yet customers who’ve walked past her in the Newton store may not realize the many challenges she had to overcome to reach this point in her career, or know about the time she now devotes to serving as a mentor to women through the Dress for Success organization. Pat Jones, executive director of the Dress for Success program in Wichita, said the organization seeks to help women get back on their feet and find success in the workforce. Wal-Mart sponsors the 12-week course, called the “Going Places Network,” and Horton has served as a mentor in the program.
Read more at Newton Kansan
February 1st, 2012
Walmart will present a $25,000 check to Springfield Public Schools to support the implementation of the Springfield Learning Model. Walmart representatives will present the check at Wednesday’s PTA meeting at Truman Elementary School beginning at 9:15 a.m. The Springfield Learning Model puts a focus on criteria which will ensure student and workforce success in the 21st century. The criteria of communication, collaboration and critical thinking are supported by developing person-centered relationships, high expectations, clear goals and success criteria and effective feedback.
Read more at KSPR-TV
