4-H receives $3 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to improve health equity in communities across the country

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Nov. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Walmart Foundation awarded a $3 million grant to National 4-H Council to help reach more than 269,000 youth, families, 4-H professionals and volunteers across the country with essential nutrition education through the 4-H Healthy Habits program.  The program focuses on rural and underserved communities to leverage youth – and their voices – as catalysts to build healthier lifestyles with education and activities in nutrition, wellness, cooking skills, physical activity and budgeting.

Since 2012, funding from the Walmart Foundation has helped 4-H equip more than 1.25 million young people with the skills to make healthy food choices. This year, as communities across the country continue to navigate the impacts of COVID-19, the 4-H Healthy Habits program is evolving to help bridge the opportunity gap and ensure all youth have access to the resources they need to continue learning important health and nutrition skills when in-person learning is not possible. Through the 4-H at Home digital platform, diverse youth and families will have access to engaging activities and resources to increase knowledge of nutrition and improve eating behaviors.

"In 4-H, we believe in the power of young people and the key role they can play in creating a more promising and equitable future," said Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO, National 4-H Council. "Thanks to continued support from the Walmart Foundation, we can help ensure that even more young people have equal access to opportunities to not only know how to eat right, but also have the confidence and skills to face life's challenges."

4-H Healthy Habits uses a multi-pronged approach to strategically leverage resources of the Cooperative Extension system to address food access, nutrition and health equity for underserved youth and families. Healthy Habits utilizes university-backed, evidence-based, impactful programs, local partnerships and national influencer engagements designed to reach diverse audiences, sustainability plans that impact underserved youth and their families and professional development opportunities for 4-H professionals, with the end goal to improve health equity across the country.

"Building healthy eating behaviors early on is key to building healthy communities," said Eileen Hyde, Director of Food Systems and Food Access for Walmart.org. "The Healthy Habits program does an excellent job of empowering youth in underserved populations, and we're proud to support this work.

Leveraging the proven influence of young people, the 4–H Healthy Habits program inspires teens to educate younger youth and empower their parents and families to make healthy food choices. In 2020-2021, the program will engage youth through the land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension System in 28 states and two territories including: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

About 4-H 
4-H, the nation's largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly 6 million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. 4-H is the youth development program of our nation's Cooperative Extension System and USDA and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension offices. The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs. 

Learn more about 4-H at www.4-h.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-h and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/4h.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. By leaning in where the business has unique strengths, Walmart.org works to tackle key social issues and collaborate with others to spark long-lasting systemic change. Walmart has stores in 27 countries, employing more than 2 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. Walmart.org is helping people live better by supporting programs that work to accelerate upward job mobility for frontline workers, address hunger and make healthier, more sustainably-grown food a reality, and build strong communities where Walmart operates. To learn more, visit www.walmart.org or find us on Twitter @Walmartorg.

SOURCE National 4-H Council

Related Links

http://www.4-h.org