Los Angeles (January 29, 2019) –The Wonderful Company and its owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, have awarded $600,000 to the 2019 recipients of their flagship grants program, Wonderful Community Grants. These grants reflect the Resnicks’ commitment to giving back in the communities where their employees live and work. Since its inception, the program has provided $1.5 million to hundreds of worthy nonprofits throughout the Central Valley.

Through location-based investment in the towns of Avenal, Wasco, Sanger and Del Rey, and now Delano and McFarland, these grants—which focus on health and wellness, supporting families, and community beautification—offer local organizations funds to make a profound impact in real time. The 2019 Wonderful Community Grants will go to 15 nonprofits, funding 22 projects and programs that address critical needs in their local communities.

“Hundreds of our Wonderful Citrus plant employees call Delano and McFarland home, and expanding the grant program to this area feels like a natural progression,” said Andy Anzaldo, COO of Philanthropy for The Wonderful Company. “Wonderful Community Grants will complement our already deep philanthropic commitment to the region, which includes our first charter school, Wonderful College Prep Academy, and the new Wonderful Fitness Court in McFarland.”

Wonderful Community Grants began in 2016 in Avenal and Wasco and expanded in 2017 to include the Sanger/Del Rey area. With the addition of the Delano/McFarland region for the 2019 grant cycle, Wonderful Community Grants now awards up to $600,000 annually. Each of the four communities receives up to $150,000, with grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.

The organizations and projects receiving a 2019 grant include:

Avenal

• City of Avenal ($50,000) – Build The Wonderful Fitness Court
• Central California Food Bank ($45,000) – Free monthly produce distributions
• Reedley Community Hospital ($17,122) – Provide free monthly mammograms and follow-up referrals
• Girl Scouts of Central California South ($15,000) – Offer Girl Scout programming to low-income girls through the Girl Scout Connect Program
• Kings Community Action Organization ($5,000) – Bring free meals, clothing and personal hygiene products on a referral basis to families in need

Sanger/Del Rey

• Central California Food Bank (Food, Inc.)  ($45,899) – Provide free monthly produce distributions at three unique sites
• Boys and Girls Club of Fresno County ($24,830) – Healthy snack programming and enrichment field trips for low-income youth
• Adventure Risk Challenge ($20,000) – Outdoor adventure weekend and summer trips that incorporate extensive college readiness and literacy training
• Reedley Community Hospital ($17,122) – Provide free monthly mammograms and follow-up referrals
• SAM Academy, Inc. ($10,000) – Transportation of Del Rey students to Sanger STEAM programming, experiential learning summer camps, and parent engagement nights

Wasco

• Community Action Partnership of Kern ($30,000) – Free monthly produce distribution
• Bakersfield Art Foundation, Inc. ($27,234) – Free art enrichment programs hosted at the Library twice monthly
• Kern County Library, Wasco Branch ($20,000) – Opening the Library the first Saturday of the month and   purchasing new books and additional equipment
• Healthy Smiles ($19,000) – Free preventative dental care and follow-up appointments
• Reedley Community Hospital ($17,122) – Provide free monthly mammograms and follow-up referrals
• Girl Scouts of Central California South ($15,000) – Bring Girl Scout programming to low-income girls
• Arts Council of Kern ($10,000) – Arts summer camp programming for K–8^th grade

Delano/ McFarland

• Community Action Partnership of Kern ($50,000) – Free monthly produce distribution
• Bakersfield Art Foundation, Inc. ($30,784) – Free art enrichment programs hosted at the Library twice monthly
• Reedley Community Hospital ($17,122) – Provide free monthly mammograms and follow-up referrals
• Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra ($15,000) – Classical music enrichment programs, tickets to the symphony orchestra and a conductor lecture
• City of Delano ($10,000) – Tennis programming

About Wonderful Community Grants

The Wonderful Company and its owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, have a rich heritage of investing in the communities their employees call home, especially in California’s Central Valley. Through Wonderful Community Grants, The Wonderful Company is investing up to $600,000 annually in the communities of Avenal, Wasco, Sanger and Del Rey, and Delano and McFarland. Area nonprofits, local governments, and faith-based organizations can apply for grants in the categories of health and wellness, supporting families and community beautification for amounts between $5,000 and $50,000. Funds are available for program development/expansion, innovation, technology and equipment. More information about Wonderful Community Grants can be found at www.wonderfulcommunitygrants.com.

The Wonderful Company

The Wonderful Company is a privately held $4 billion global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world. Its iconic brands include FIJI® Water, POM Wonderful®, Wonderful® Pistachios & Almonds, Wonderful® Halos®, Teleflora®, JUSTIN® Wines and Landmark® Wines.

The Wonderful Company’s connection to consumers has health at its heart and giving back in its DNA. To learn more about The Wonderful Company, its products and its core values, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.