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News/Noticias
Wal-Mart attends NCLR annual National Conference. Houston, TX (September 13, 1999) — Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the nation's largest retailer, continued its role as a major supporter of the National Council of La Raza's (NCLR). The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer sponsored the luncheon at which Vice President Al Gore was the featured speaker during NCLR's annual conference held last month in Houston, Texas. Wal-Mart also participated in the Latino Expo and Job Fair at the event, which annually draws the largest attendance of major national Hispanic conventions. Wal-Mart, already the nation's largest employer of Latinos, uses events like NCLR's convention to bolster its recruitment efforts among Hispanics. "We want to increase Latinos in our company's growth and felt the NCLR conference and career expo was a great place to demonstrate our commitment," said Coleman Peterson, senior vice president of Wal-Mart's People Division. "NCLR and its affiliates are focused on community development — which includes employment and career opportunities. We are convinced it is a key group with which to partner as we continue our recruitment activities," he said. "Breaking employment and career barriers for Hispanics is one of our main goals," said NCLR President Raul Yzaguirre. "The commitment shown by Wal-Mart underscores the effectiveness and visibility of our goal to increase involvement from corporate America in our efforts," he added. NCLR is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization created to reduce poverty and discrimination and improve life opportunities for Hispanics in the U.S. It consists of nationwide affiliate members ranging from "grassroots" community-based organizations to professional, multi-million dollar community development agencies. Wal-Mart takes its recruitment efforts to community-based organizations which address economic and employment needs of Hispanics, African Americans and Women; among them: the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Hispanic Employees Association (NHEA) and several others. The inclusion of these groups demonstrates Wal-Mart's commitment to having its work force reflect its customer base. This year,
Wal-Mart was named one of the top 100 companies for Hispanics to work
for by HISPANIC magazine, and one of the top 50 by Latina Style magazine.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) operates more than 2,400 stores and 450 Sam's
Clubs in the United States and operates more than 720 units internationally.
Wal-Mart employs more than 815,000 associates in the United States and
is the nation's largest employer of Hispanics, with over 70,000. In 1998,
the company raised and donated more than $127 million for charitable organizations.
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