Pictured from left to right are Walmart Market Manager Jeff Eversole and Urban League of Greater Chattanooga Program Director Ronni Darlene Pruitt.
Urban League of Greater Chattanooga received a $20,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to assist their Urban Youth Empowerment Program. The program aims to address the employment barriers of court-involved youth and young adults, ages 14 to 24, while helping them attain in-demand occupational and employment skills needed for sustainable careers.
“Our mission is to enable African Americans and other disadvantaged persons to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights,” said Ronni Darlene Pruitt, program director of Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. “This grant will help us make a difference in the life paths of young adults in Chattanooga who have made mistakes in the past and want to become productive members of the community.”
The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga is part of the National Urban League that serves over two million people annually. Urban Leagues are the nation's oldest and largest community-based organizations devoted to empowering African Americans and other under-served individuals to enter the economic and social mainstream.
“At the Walmart Foundation, we understand that organizations such as Urban League of Greater Chattanooga are essential to building stronger communities. They share our values and are committed to helping young people to live better,” said Jeff Eversole, Walmart market manager. “Through this donation, Chattanooga-area youth will have the opportunity to continue their education and gain skills to support themselves and build a career.”
The Walmart Foundation supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better, awarding grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S. Over the last fiscal year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $35.7 million in cash and in-kind contributions to support nonprofit organizations and programs in Tennessee focused on fighting hunger and healthy eating, workforce development, disaster preparedness and other needs specific to many Tennessee communities.