Walmart heiress Alice Walton received a letter today, even if she hasn’t read it.
“[It’s] not just Thanksgiving dinner that’s an issue. It’s dinner every night,†La’Randa Jackson wrote to Walton. Last year for Thanksgiving, Jackson and her family didn’t have turkey and gravy like other families. They couldn’t afford it, because Jackson, who is now 20 years old, works at a Walmart in Cincinnati, Ohio, earning $8.75 an hour. To help her mother pay for food, Jackson collects food stamps and is a regular at her local food bank. It’s still not enough, so she says she and her mom skip their meals in order for La’Randa’s brothers to have enough.
Jackson is not alone. Various Walmarts have turned to community food drives to help their workers. Last year, an Ohio Walmart put out food bins to collect canned food for its workers. According to employee advocate organization OUR Walmart, a Walmart in Indiana is sponsoring a bake sale to raise money for its struggling workers. In Pennsylvania, one store has put out a giving tree for Christmas, asking workers who are better off to donate to their colleagues who are in need.
The irony is that the retail giant prides itself on its efforts to battle hunger. In her letter to Walton, Jackson notes that it is likely that the heiress and her family, which is worth about $145bn, previously donated to the same food bank that she frequents.
“[It’s] not just Thanksgiving dinner that’s an issue. It’s dinner every night,†La’Randa Jackson wrote to Walton. Last year for Thanksgiving, Jackson and her family didn’t have turkey and gravy like other families. They couldn’t afford it, because Jackson, who is now 20 years old, works at a Walmart in Cincinnati, Ohio, earning $8.75 an hour. To help her mother pay for food, Jackson collects food stamps and is a regular at her local food bank. It’s still not enough, so she says she and her mom skip their meals in order for La’Randa’s brothers to have enough.
Jackson is not alone. Various Walmarts have turned to community food drives to help their workers. Last year, an Ohio Walmart put out food bins to collect canned food for its workers. According to employee advocate organization OUR Walmart, a Walmart in Indiana is sponsoring a bake sale to raise money for its struggling workers. In Pennsylvania, one store has put out a giving tree for Christmas, asking workers who are better off to donate to their colleagues who are in need.
The irony is that the retail giant prides itself on its efforts to battle hunger. In her letter to Walton, Jackson notes that it is likely that the heiress and her family, which is worth about $145bn, previously donated to the same food bank that she frequents.