LOS ANGELES, Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Wonderful Company, one of the largest and most philanthropic privately held companies in the United States, announced today the latest recipients of its Central Valley Community Grants program. These grants, totaling over $1 million, will provide direct support to 23 organizations in California’s Central Valley. These organizations focus on programs that encompass community health, youth enrichment, arts, and economic advancement.

Since its inception, the Central Valley Community Grants program has awarded over $6 million to more than 200 organizations and schools in the Central Valley. Wonderful’s co-owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, direct their philanthropic efforts toward transformative organizations that provide essential assistance to rural communities in need. Each year, the Resnicks, their foundation, and The Wonderful Company invest over $30 million in community development, education, sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives across the Central Valley and beyond.

“Wonderful's Central Valley Community Grants program catalyzes change by investing in the communities where our employees live and work,” said Andy Anzaldo, chief operating officer of corporate social responsibility at The Wonderful Company. “This year, we’ve received a record number of applications, and as Wonderful Neighbors, our commitment is to actively listen to community needs and collaborate on game-changing opportunities, all to improve the lives and opportunities of generations to come.”

“Picturing 500 elementary students in Kern County each holding a book, saying, “I’m a published author!” is beyond exciting! We are thrilled to partner with Wonderful to bring this one-of-a-kind book publishing project to life,” said Susie Harder, M.A., CCC-SLP, founder and chief executive officer at Authorable.

“Thanks to Wonderful’s Central Valley Community Grants, VITA can offer the Avenal community a tax preparation option with no fee,” said Savino Perico, community development manager at Kings Community Action Organization. “KCAO empowers community members by educating them about their tax return and helps residents get the most beneficial return possible, thus allowing more money to come into their pockets to cover their daily expenses and helping them provide more for their children and their families – but most importantly, providing them peace of mind. The VITA program is not only about tax returns, but also about creating partnerships, teaching volunteers how to do taxes, and practicing soft skills.”

The program focuses on serving nine rural communities in California’s Central Valley. Some of the 2023 grant recipients include:

Avenal

• Authorable: Provides training and materials for elementary schools to participate in an eight-week interactive literacy program in Avenal, Lost Hills, Shafter, and Wasco to inspire a love of reading.
• Kings Community Action Organization: Provides free assistance on tax return preparation for individuals and their families.

Delano

• Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra: Provides tickets, transportation, and food for Delano, Shafter, Wasco, and Lost Hills students to attend in-person symphony concerts.
• Kern Dance Alliance: Provides free dance performances based on popular children’s books, as well as arts and crafts sessions for children in kindergarten through third grade at libraries in Delano, Wasco, and Shafter.

Del Rey

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County: Provides after-school programming five days a week for kids ages 6 to 18 in Del Rey and Firebaugh.
• Comprehensive Youth Services of Fresno: Provides family resource services to children and their families in Del Rey and Sanger.​

Firebaugh

• Valley PBS: Provides workshops on mechanical, chemical, electrical, and civil engineering to children in kindergarten through sixth grade in Firebaugh, Delano, Mendota, and Sanger.
• Central California Food Bank: Distributes free, fresh produce and essential boxes to individuals and families in Delano, Firebaugh, and Avenal.

Lost Hills

• Biking for Fun: Provides bike safety lessons and helmets to youth in Lost Hills, Delano, Wasco, and Shafter.
• California Farmworker Foundation: Provides workshops on banking and financial concepts for farmworkers in Lost Hills, Avenal, Delano, Shafter, and Wasco.
• Kern Dance Alliance: Provides educational and recreational sessions for girls in sixth through eighth grade.
  

Mendota

• Central Valley Scholars: Offers college-prep workshops to students and their parents in Mendota, Avenal, and Delano.
• Teens That Care: Provides health care packages to low-income seniors and families.

Sanger

• Fresno Council on Child Abuse Prevention: Provides caregiver education and professional training on infant drowning and mental health care in Sanger, Del Rey, Firebaugh, and Mendota.
  

Shafter

• 746 Sports Foundation: Provides summer camp recreational and learning activities for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade.
• American Diabetes Association: Educates youth on healthy habits that help prevent obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
• Assistance League of Bakersfield: Provides low-income youth with new school uniforms and hygiene kits in Shafter, Wasco, Delano, and Lost Hills.
  

Wasco

• Community Action Partnership of Kern: Distributes free, fresh produce in Wasco, Shafter, and Lost Hills.
• Kern Community Tennis Association: Provides student athletes from low-income families in Wasco, Delano, and Shafter with equipment to participate in their school’s tennis team. 
• Kern Literacy Council: Provides tutoring and supportive services to youth and adults in Wasco, Shafter, Delano, and Lost Hills.
• Wasco Recreation and Parks District: Provides youth with hands-on experience in water safety, nutrition, arts, and overall wellness.

More information about Wonderful Community Grants can be found at www.wonderfulcommunitygrants.com.

About The Wonderful Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility
The Wonderful Company and its co-owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, have a long-standing commitment to investing in the communities where their employees live and work, especially in California’s Central Valley, which is home to 3,000 employees. The Resnicks, along with their foundation and The Wonderful Company, have invested more than $2.5 billion in education, health and wellness, community development, and sustainability initiatives across the Central Valley, Fiji, and the world. To learn more about The Wonderful Company and its core values, visit csr.wonderful.com.

Contact  
Alyssa Ashley  
Alyssa.ashley@wonderful.com
C: 646 603 7032