Walmart Ups Investments in Disaster Relief
Understanding the importance of preparation across its business, Walmart extends that principle to its corporate responsibility practices. This week, the company announced additional investments in mobile disaster response units run by nonprofit organizations.
Walmart is making these investments in advance of hurricane season and in the wake of a series of natural disasters that appear to be happening with greater frequency, including storms, tornadoes and wildfires. The mobile response units can be deployed quickly to help communities access crucial resources and services, such as charging and wi-fi access during power outages, hot meals from a mobile “Operation BBQ Relief” kitchen, clean laundry and showers via a mobile trailer.
The support makes operational sense, too, given that Walmart and Sam’s Club locations often deploy relief stations in their parking lots. The new units also complement the retailer’s existing Mobile Relief Kitchen operated by Walmart drivers.
“Before, during and after disasters, Walmart’s emergency management team and associates across the company coordinate to support impacted associates, get stores and clubs back open as quickly and safely as possible, deliver much-needed merchandise and collaborate with local governments and response organizations to determine the needs in the community,” the company shared in a statement on its website. “It's in the company’s DNA to help communities better prepare for and respond to disasters in the communities where we operate around the world. Since FY2022, Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation have contributed more than $55 million for disaster preparedness and response globally.”
Each week, about 240 million customers and members visit Walmart’s approximately 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Walmart one of its Retailers of the Century.
