Community Leaders Form 'Working Families for Wal-Mart'; Says Wal-Mart Makes Positive Contributions to Communities Through Consumer Savings and Good Jo

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A diverse group of community leaders today formed the steering committee of Working Families for Wal-Mart -- an organization dedicated to talking about Wal-Mart's positive contributions and making sure working families benefit from the consumer savings and job opportunities that the company offers in communities all across America.

"Wal-Mart will create a projected 100,000 jobs this year, pays its associates competitive wages, offers health insurance for as little as $11 per month, and donates nearly $200 million to charities annually - 90 percent of it at the local level," said steering committee member Suffragan Bishop Ira Combs. "Just like Sam Walton believed every consumer deserves the opportunity to benefit from discount shopping, every working family deserves to benefit from the savings and opportunity of a Wal-Mart in their community."

A recent Pew Research Center poll found that "81 percent of those with a Wal-Mart nearby say it is a good place to shop." The survey also found that "Wal-Mart's most faithful shoppers are . . . those with annual incomes below $30,000" and seven in ten who make between $30,000 and $49,999 think Wal-Mart is good for their area.

"Wal-Mart saves the average American household more than $2,300 per year - which would pay almost half the average tuition at a public-four year university," said steering committee member Courtney Lynch. "Working families can use the money they save at Wal-Mart to buy more of what they need every day or to invest in a better and more secure future."

Steering committee members come from a variety of backgrounds and communities. They are customers, business leaders, activists, civic leaders, educators and many others with first- hand knowledge of Wal-Mart's positive contributions. They make their homes throughout the country from Los Angeles, California to Jacksonville, Florida to Jackson, Michigan.

Suffragan Bishop Combs added: "I know Wal-Mart is good for working families, because I know men and women in my congregation who work at Wal-Mart, shop at Wal-Mart, and whose lives are touched by the compassion and commitment of this company every day. They support Wal-Mart, because in so many ways Wal-Mart supports them and, indeed, the American people too."

To learn more about Working Families for Wal-Mart -- including information about our national steering committee members -- and how the retailer benefits your community, please visit http://www.forwalmart.com.

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