Hawai‘i Red Cross Receives Walmart Grant

Ken Aoki, Hawai‘i Red Cross volunteer (left to right) ; Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO of the Hawai‘i Red Cross; and Steven Reed, Hawai‘i Market Manager for Walmart. Photo courtesy Sayre Public Relations.

The Hawai‘i Red Cross recently received a $27,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation’s Hawai‘i State Giving Council as part of National Home Fire Preparedness Week.

The grant will be used to support the organization’s home fire preparedness campaign in Hawai‘i.

The campaign aims to install and test smoke alarms in homes, help families complete home safety checklists and develop escape plans, and educate community members about fire safety and preparedness.

“In this country, seven people lose their lives every day from a home fire,” said Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO of the Hawai‘i Red Cross. “Working smoke alarms cut the risk of death by home fires in half. As part of our lifesaving mission, Red Cross volunteers are educating the community and providing vital information on fire safety and the importance of maintaining working smoke alarms. With the generous support of Walmart, we can reach more families, install life-saving smoke alarms in their homes and teach fire safety to build stronger and more resilient communities.”

“At Walmart, we’re pleased to be able to support non-profits like the Hawai‘i Red Cross and their Home Fire Prevention program that help educate and provide social services for our island communities,” said Steven Reed, Hawai‘i market manager for Walmart. “We also applaud the volunteers helping to save lives by installing smoke alarms in homes for Hawai‘i residents.”

The grant was made through the Walmart Foundation’s Hawai‘i State Giving Council Program, which provides grants based on recommendations from the State Giving Program’s Advisory Council. The Walmart Foundation has an Advisory Council in each state, made up of Walmart associates representing local communities who help identify local needs within each state, review all eligible grant applications and make funding recommendations to the Walmart Foundation. Councils base recommendations on alignment with Foundation focus areas, state or community needs and program eligibility criteria.

To be considered for support, perspective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation Hawai‘i State Giving Program’s online grant application. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria.

Additional information about funding guidelines and the application process is available online.