The Walmart Foundation Donates $2 Million to Help Unemployed Women Get Back to Work

NEW YORK, March 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- At its third annual Dress for Success day of service in New York City, the Walmart Foundation donated $2 million to the women-focused nonprofit. The grant will help Dress for Success expand its Going Places Network to 60 of its affiliate locations across the U.S. and give thousands of women the added confidence they need to ace interviews and get back into the workforce.

"Dress for Success is helping women get the skills they need to get back into the workforce and those services are desperately needed right now," said Mary Fox, Walmart's senior vice president of global apparel sourcing. "Three years ago, our New York office began building a relationship with Dress for Success by lending our time and skills because we believed in what the organization does to help women. We're proud that our office's community service efforts at the local level have grown to a national partnership between Walmart and Dress for Success."

Dress for Success reports an increase in female jobseekers that have been out of work for several weeks. The most recent employment report from the Bureau of Labor mirrors the sentiment, reporting that nearly 44 percent of the jobless have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more.

Today, 300 of Walmart's New York-based associates will review resumes, provide career advice and conduct mock interviews at Dress for Success branches across New York City.

"Dress for Success is already a leader in employment retention for disadvantaged women, but with this generous grant from Walmart, we will significantly expand our work in job preparation and career advancement," said Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide. "The women we serve across the country will now have access to support and services for every phase of their professional lives, starting with the job search and leading to sustained employment and self-sufficiency."

Dress for Success has more than 110 job training offices globally and served an estimated 48,000 women last year through its nationwide efforts. The Going Places Network by Walmart helps women gain professional skills, accelerate their job search and build confidence.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to funding opportunities that provide workforce training and development. Recently the Walmart Foundation funded a Goodwill program that is providing single mothers the tools they need to find employment, succeed in the workplace and support their families. Read more about the Walmart Foundation's efforts to help people get back to work.    

About Philanthropy at Walmart

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. The Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. From Feb. 1, 2009 through Jan. 31, 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $512 million in cash and in-kind gifts globally, $467 million of which was donated in the U.S. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

About Dress for Success

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 110 cities in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 550,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

SOURCE Walmart Foundation