The Wonderful Company Announces Over $1 Million In Community Grants To Central Valley Nonprofits And Schools

Thirty-One Grantees Chosen for Their Critical Work in California's Central Valley, Building on the Wonderful Company's Longstanding Commitment to the Region.

LOS ANGELES , Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wonderful Company, one of the largest and most philanthropic privately held companies in the United States, today announced its latest Wonderful Community Grants recipients—31 nonprofit organizations in California's Central Valley that will receive in total nearly $1.1 million in grants to help further their missions and programs. Since the program's inception, The Wonderful Company—whose iconic brands include FIJI Water, POM Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, Teleflora, JUSTIN, JNSQ, and Landmark wines—has awarded over $5 million in community grants to over 200 organizations and schools in the Central Valley.

Every year, The Wonderful Company and its co-owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, invest more than $30 million in community development, education, and health and wellness initiatives across the Central Valley and beyond. The Community Grants program is at the heart of the company's ongoing commitment to be Wonderful Neighbors in the Central Valley communities where the majority of their employees reside, and it intends to help inspire increased engagement with local and regional organizations.

"We believe in the importance of investing in our own local neighborhoods - supporting community organizations in the places where we operate and where our colleagues live and work," said Andy Anzaldo, chief operating officer, corporate social responsibility at The Wonderful Company. "Through Wonderful Community Grants, we are supporting organizations and schools across the Central Valley that, we believe, will help build and maintain vibrant, healthy communities now and for future generations."

The Wonderful Community Grants directly support game-changing programs emphasizing health and wellness, recreation, community beautification, art, and social services. This year, the program expanded its geographic reach to support programs in Lost Hills and eight other communities, including Avenal, Wasco, Shafter, Delano, and more. Nonprofit organizations and schools with a history of producing tangible results demonstrating a clear community need were eligible to apply for funding.

"The Central California Food Bank is so grateful to be a recipient of Wonderful Community Grants that will support a school pantry program in Firebaugh and three-monthly fresh produce markets in Avenal," said Alicia Linares, director of programs & partnerships at Central California Food Bank. "We are committed to sustaining programs that promote equitable food access in our region, and these grants will provide enhanced food support in underserved communities where it is needed most."

"The Marjaree Mason Center is grateful for this significant donation from The Wonderful Company, which will allow us to enhance outreach and prevention efforts, as well as direct services in the communities of Del Rey, Sanger, Mendota, and Firebaugh," said Nicole Linder, executive director at the Marjaree Mason Center. "This additional funding will allow us to serve Fresno County better and ensure that all residents have access to healing-centered domestic violence services."

Some of the 2022 grant recipients include:

Avenal

• Central California Food Bank: Provide monthly fresh produce and essential provisions distributions at three partner sites in Avenal.
• Kings Community Action Organization: Provide financial assistance to families whose water has been shut off or is about to be shut off due to overdue water bills.

Delano

• Community Action Partnership of Kern: Provide 3,900 fresh produce boxes that feed a family of five in Delano.
• 3E Empower Equip Embark Inc.: Provide unemployed women living near the poverty level with workforce programming and job placement through an intensive three-week program.

Del Rey

• Marjaree Mason Center: Provide domestic violence intervention and support services to approximately 550 adults and their children.
• Central Valley Scholars: Offer college-prep workshops to provide students with access to the necessary information, tools, and resources to submit successful college applications.

Firebaugh

• Boys & Girls Club of Fresno County: Deliver after-school programming for kids, ages 6-18, and paid apprenticeships for teens.
• Junior Achievement of Northern California: Offer economics and personal finance courses to improve the literacy of middle and high school students.

Lost Hills

• Together We Rise: Provide duffle bags for foster children with comfort and essential items.
• American Red Cross: Provide free smoke alarm installations in households across Lost Hills and Delano. 

Mendota

• Fresno Council on Child Abuse Prevention: Educate over 7,283 individuals in a child maltreatment prevention program to reduce ACEs. 

Sanger 

• Teens That Care: Train students and their parents in grades 1-6 on general safety practices for bike and scooter riding in Mendota and provide a helmet for each participant.

Shafter

• Shafter Library and Learning Center: Purchase and install a new modern wood pergola to shade part of the plaza to make it more conducive for children's programming and enjoyment.
• Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra: Cover ticket, transportation, and dinner costs for Shafter and Delano students to attend in-person symphony concerts through the BSO Next Generation and Young People's Concert Outreach Programs during the Spring season. 

Wasco

• Wasco Recreation and Park District: Provide hands-on experience in water safety, nutrition, arts, and overall wellness to youth.
• Kern County Library: Provide books, resources, and literacy programs to 96,245 community members in Wasco, Delano, and Lost Hills, as well as a sprinter van that will be converted into a library on wheels for outreach events.

For more information, please visit www.wonderfulcommunitygrants.com.

The Wonderful Company and its co-owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, have a long-standing commitment to investing in the communities their employees live in and work, especially in California's Central Valley. In addition to the millions of dollars the Resnicks and The Wonderful Company invest in the Central Valley every year, the Wonderful Community Grants program provides critical funding to organizations impacting change throughout the area. Local governments, area nonprofits, schools, and faith-based organizations can apply for grants in the categories of health and wellness, recreation, COVID-19 recovery efforts, art, social services, and community beautification for amounts between $1,000 and $100,000. Funds are available for program development/expansion, innovation, small-scale capital improvements, technology, and equipment. More information about Wonderful Community Grants can be found at www.wonderfulcommunitygrants.com. 

The Wonderful Company is a privately held $5 billion global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world. Its iconic brands include FIJI® Water, POM Wonderful®, Wonderful® Pistachios, Wonderful® Halos®, Wonderful® Seedless Lemons, Teleflora®, JUSTIN®, JNSQ™, and Landmark® wines. 

The Wonderful Company's connection to consumers has health at its heart and giving back in its DNA. To learn more about The Wonderful Company, its products, and its core values, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

SOURCE The Wonderful Company LLC