San Diego County CA— With the goal to educate residents and preserve lives across the state, the American Red Cross on Wednesday received a $125,000 Walmart Foundation grant at a community outreach event at the Kearny Mesa Walmart store to support the nonprofit’s Home Fire Campaign, which focuses on reducing the number of home fire deaths and injuries in vulnerable communities.
“Walmart continues to be a valued partner with the Red Cross and enables us to focus on our mission of safeguarding families from fire danger at home,” said Bill Earley, Regional CEO for the American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties. “I’d like to thank the Walmart Foundation for their contribution, which promises to preserve even more lives as additional smoke alarms are installed and educational efforts continue across the state.”
To mark National Preparedness Month, ceremonial checks were presented to the Red Cross in the Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and San Diego/Imperial Counties regions during three simultaneous check presentation events in Los Angeles, San Jose and San Diego.
The statewide grant will be used to safeguard 35,625 underserved community members from the heartbreak associated with home fire losses by installing 11,875 smoke alarms, and completing family home safety checklists and fire escape plans.
“Walmart’s collaboration with the American Red Cross allows us to further extend the nonprofit’s Home Fire Campaign by providing valuable, life-saving information and products to shoppers in stores across the state,” said Kathy Horney, Walmart Market Manager. “Walmart is happy to provide this information as a public service to our customers.”
As part of the collaboration, a Red Cross disaster response vehicle appeared at the Kearny Mesa Walmart staffed by trained volunteers who shared home fire safety information with shoppers, while Walmart associates answered questions about emergency preparedness products sold in the store.
Home fires remain the biggest disaster threat to individuals and families in the United States. Behind every home fire – above and beyond the statistics – there are lives that are altered forever. Residential fires are devastating events for those who lose their homes, loved ones, possessions, and sense of security. To spare individuals and families the heartbreak of residential fires by dramatically reducing the number of incidences, the American Red Cross launched the Home Fire Campaign. In an unprecedented, nationwide effort to save lives, reduce injuries, and cut down on needless losses, the campaign goal is to reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries in the United States by 25 percent over five years.
Like the American Red Cross, Walmart is always at the ready when disaster strikes. Just last month, Walmart committed $1.5 million to provide additional food, water, cleaning supplies and other essential items following devastating floods in Louisiana. Walmart continues to help communities prepare and recover by donating emergency supplies, such as food and water, home and personal products, and by creating ways for associates and community members to locate and help one another. In the last 10 years, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have donated more than $56 million in cash and in-kind donations in response to disaster events.