Walmart and Sam's Club Celebrate Nationwide Launch to Hire Veterans During its Saluting Heroes Together Event in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Memorial Day weekend, Walmart and Sam's Club will celebrate the launch of the company's commitment to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years during its Saluting Heroes Together event with Operation Homefront. This event is part of a nationwide series to help honor the brave men and women who have or are currently serving in our military and their families.

This event will take place Saturday, May 25, from 11 am to 2 pm at the Walmart supercenter located at 8923 W. Military Road. Lunch and giveaways will be provided by Walmart and Sam's Club suppliers, including Johnsonville's World's Largest Grill.

In January, Walmart announced that beginning Memorial Day, May 27_, the company will offer a job to any honorably discharged veteran within his or her first 12 months off active duty through its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, and plans to hire more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years. Members from the Walmart People Division department will be on hand at the event to answer questions about the commitment.

"Veterans will add tremendous value to our company," said Juan Zuniga, a San Antonio Walmart store manager and Air Force veteran. "They have a great work ethic and are eager to learn," he added. "When I left the Navy, I was looking for an opportunity to apply the traits I learned in the military to a civilian job, and I found that opportunity at Walmart."

"Operation Homefront is proud to support our service men and women and their families, and have been since 2002," says Vicki Sarracino, vice president of field operations. "Walmart has been a longtime supporter of Operation Homefront," she added. "We are proud to partner with Walmart and Sam's Club and are honored to take part in the Saluting Heroes Together events that will help strengthen community support for those who have served and sacrificed to provide opportunity for us."

The company's focus on supporting veterans extends beyond its hiring initiative. The Walmart Foundation has committed $20 million through 2015 to helping veterans and their families transition from the military into the civilian workforce through programs that provide job training, transition support and education.

As part of the commitment, the foundation announced a $750,000 grant to the American G.I. Forum National Veterans Outreach Program, Inc., in April. The grant established a new Texas veteran's program focused on helping 700 Texas veterans, age 34 years and under, who are unemployed or underemployed with transition and employment placement assistance.  

To learn more, drop by Saturday's event in San Antonio or visit www.walmartcareerswithamission.com.   

About Walmart 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 245 million customers and members visit or more than 10,800 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2013 sales of approximately $466 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com. 

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SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.