Wal-Mart donates $500K to military charities - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Wal-Mart donates $500K to military charities

Wounded, injured and ill troops warriors and their families are the beneficiaries of more than $500,000 donated by the Wal-Mart Foundation to two national charities:

• Fisher House Foundation received $250,000 and used part of it to send out 1,000 Wal-Mart gift cards worth $100 each to its 42 comfort homes the week of Dec. 8, said Fisher House spokesman Jim Weiskopf. The cards will help families who are spending the holidays at a Fisher House because a loved one is being treated in a nearby military or veterans hospital.

An additional $95,000 is divided up between the Fisher Houses for each manager to use to benefit the residents. The remaining $55,000 will be used to defray costs of the Hero Miles tickets program that enables families to travel to be together using donated frequent flyer miles.

An additional $30,000 was donated to Fisher Houses in the Washington, D.C., area, Weiskopf said.

Wal-Mart provides additional support to local Fisher Houses in other regions.

• Operation Homefront also received $250,000 from Wal-Mart and is using it for food and fuel certificates for wounded warriors and their families in need, said Amy Palmer, chief operating officer of Operation Homefront. The organization issued its first gift cards from the grant on Dec. 15, she said.

If there is no nearby Wal-Mart, or if the family has better access to a commissary, they may receive a commissary gift certificate. For information about applying for assistance, families should contact the Operation Homefront chapter in their state, http://www.operationhomefront.net/. If their state does not have a chapter, families should call the national office at 210-659-7756, or e-mail info@operationhomefront.net.