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 $1.5 million, will provide direct support to help drive increased engagement with 30 local and regional organizations in California’s Central Valley.

These organizations focus on programs that encompass community health, youth enrichment, arts, and economic advancement. They not only demonstrate a genuine community need but also deliver tangible and visible results. Since its inception in 2016, the Central Valley Community Grants program has awarded over $6.5 million to more than 200 organizations and schools in the Central Valley region.

Wonderful’s co-founders, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, center their philanthropic efforts on community initiatives and programs that provide direct assistance to communities in need, starting with the communities where their employees live and work. Each year, the Resnicks, their foundations, and The Wonderful Company invest over $30 million in community development, education, sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives across the Central Valley and beyond. 

“Guided by the Resnicks’ vision, Wonderful believes that the greatest impact comes from working closely with local partners. This year’s grantees and their programs provide essential resources and align with our commitment to serving as Wonderful Neighbors by listening to community needs, increasing access to resources, and collaborating on transformative opportunities that improve lives for future generations,” said Andy Anzaldo, chief operating officer of corporate social responsibility at The Wonderful Company.

“Kern Dance Alliance is deeply grateful for The Wonderful Company’s generous support, which empowers us to enrich communities, drive cultural innovation, and inspire economic growth through the arts. Their partnership has been instrumental in advancing education through programs like Books in MotionⓇ: DANCE + LITERACY and SHINE for Girls, improving literacy and STEAM outcomes for thousands of students in California’s Central Valley, including Wasco, Shafter, Delano, and Lost Hills,” said Andrea Hansen, executive director at Kern Dance Alliance.

The program focuses on serving nine rural communities in California’s Central Valley. Some of the 2024 grant recipients include: 

Avenal 

• Kings Partnership for Prevention: Funds a workshop series aimed at raising diabetes awareness and promoting healthy lifestyle choices

• Kings Community Action Organization: Provides free assistance on tax return preparation for individuals and their families 

Delano 

• The Open Door Network: Funds the reinstatement of the Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) in Kern County, which accompanies local law enforcement on house calls to provide crisis counseling 

• Strider Education Foundation: Provides bikes, helmets, pedal conversion kits, storage racks, and bike riding lessons for students at five schools across Delano, Avenal, and Lost Hills  

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 

• Vision y Compromisio: Funds promotoras to deliver trainings on CPR, healthy development, nutrition, and more to family, friend, and neighbor caregivers, as well as parent engagement workshops

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 

• Authorable: Provides training and materials for elementary schools to participate in an eight-week interactive literacy program in Lost Hills and Shafter to inspire a love of reading

• Kern Dance Alliance: Provides educational and recreational sessions for children in sixth through eighth grade

Mendota 

• Marjaree Mason Center: Provides community resource specialists to connect families in Del Rey, Firebaugh, Sanger, and Mendota with safe shelter, 24/7 domestic violence crisis response, case management, and youth prevention education

• Rape Counseling Services of Fresno: Provides expanded therapeutic services for adult and child victims of sexual assault in Mendota, Firebaugh, Del Rey, and Sanger

Sanger 

• Hope Sanger: Provides an industrial freezer to store perishable foods and covers the purchase and production of food staples for weekly distribution to alleviate food insecurity

• SAM Academy: Provides Mariachi music and Ballet Folklorico instruction for youth to perform in the community

Shafter 

• 746 Sports Foundation: Provides summer camp recreational and learning activities for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade and continues to build on the partnership between The Wonderful Company and the Shafter Recreation & Parks District with the new Wonderful Company Community Sports Complex 

• 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

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 foundations 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.