Walmart

== Charity ==
Sam Walton believed that the company's contribution to society was that it operated efficiently, thereby lowering the [[cost of living]] for customers, and, therefore, in that sense was a "powerful force for good", despite his refusal to contribute cash to philanthropic causes.<ref>{{cite book |last = Lichtenstein |first = Nelson |title = The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of Business |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ot0-dSuyF8wC&q=%E2%80%9CWe+feel+very+strongly%2C%E2%80%9D+he+wrote%2C+%E2%80%9Cthat+Wal-Mart+really%C2%A0is+not%2C+and%C2%A0should+not%C2%A0be%2C+in+the+charity+business.%E2%80%9D&pg=PA279 |publisher = Macmillan |access-date = August 1, 2013 |page = 279 |date = July 21, 2009 |isbn = 978-1-4299-8971-8 |archive-date = December 26, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201226195928/https://books.google.com/books?id=ot0-dSuyF8wC&q=%E2%80%9CWe+feel+very+strongly%2C%E2%80%9D+he+wrote%2C+%E2%80%9Cthat+Wal-Mart+really%C2%A0is+not%2C+and%C2%A0should+not%C2%A0be%2C+in+the+charity+business.%E2%80%9D&pg=PA279 |url-status = live }}</ref> Having begun to feel that his wealth attracted people who wanted nothing more than a "handout", he explained that while he believed his family had been fortunate and wished to use his wealth to aid worthy causes like education, they could not be expected to "solve every personal problem that comes to [their] attention". He explained later in his autobiography, "We feel very strongly that Wal-Mart really is ''not'', and ''should not'' be, in the charity business," stating "any debit has to be passed along to somebody—either shareholders or our customers."<ref>{{cite book |last = Walton |first = Sam |title = Sam Walton: Made In America |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ggN9Kp8UVfwC&q=%E2%80%9Cany+undeserving+stranger+a+free+ride%E2%80%9D&pg=PA299 |publisher = Random House LLC |access-date = July 30, 2013 |pages = 299–306 |date = September 12, 2012 |isbn = 978-0-307-76369-3 |archive-date = December 26, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201226230952/https://books.google.com/books?id=ggN9Kp8UVfwC&q=%E2%80%9Cany+undeserving+stranger+a+free+ride%E2%80%9D&pg=PA299 |url-status = live }}</ref> Since Sam Walton's death in 1992, however, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation dramatically increased charitable giving. For example, in 2005, Walmart donated {{US$|20&nbsp;million}} in cash and merchandise for [[Hurricane Katrina]] relief and in 2020 they committed $25&nbsp;million to organizations on the frontlines of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] response.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Where It's Going: Walmart's $25 Million COVID-19 Commitment|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/05/05/where-its-going-walmarts-25-million-covid-19-commitment|access-date=November 12, 2020|website=Corporate – US|archive-date=December 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223064137/https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/05/05/where-its-going-walmarts-25-million-covid-19-commitment|url-status=live}}</ref> Today, Walmart's charitable donations approach {{US$|1&nbsp;billion}} each year.<ref name="Charity Evaluated">{{cite magazine |last = Featherstone |first = Liza |title = Wal-Mart Charity Evaluated: Critics question company's motives |url = http://reclaimdemocracy.org/walmart-charity/ |magazine = The Nation |access-date = August 1, 2013 |date = November 21, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202240/http://reclaimdemocracy.org/walmart-charity/ |archive-date = October 29, 2013}}</ref>

=== COVID-19 ===
As of January 2021, healthcare workers could get vaccines through Walmart in New Mexico and Arkansas. Walmart planned to offer vaccines in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Indiana]], [[Louisiana]], [[Maryland]], [[New Jersey]], [[South Carolina]], [[Texas]], [[Chicago]] and [[Puerto Rico]] with the target of delivering between 10&nbsp;million and 13&nbsp;million doses per month at full capacity.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 22, 2021|title=Walmart expands vaccinations in a boost to the U.S. Covid prevention program|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/22/walmart-expands-vaccinations-in-a-boost-to-the-us-covid-prevention-program.html|access-date=January 25, 2021|publisher=CNBC|archive-date=January 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123215115/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/22/walmart-expands-vaccinations-in-a-boost-to-the-us-covid-prevention-program.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Williams|first=Jordan|date=January 22, 2021|title=Walmart expands coronavirus vaccine operation|url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/535363-walmart-expands-coronavirus-vaccine-operation-report|access-date=January 25, 2021|website=The Hill|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126052332/https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/535363-walmart-expands-coronavirus-vaccine-operation-report|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=When Vaccines Roll Out in the U.S., Walmart Stands Ready to Serve|url=https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2021/01/22/when-vaccines-roll-out-in-the-u-s-walmart-stands-ready-to-serve|access-date=January 25, 2021|website=Corporate – US|archive-date=January 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124144049/https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2021/01/22/when-vaccines-roll-out-in-the-u-s-walmart-stands-ready-to-serve|url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 2021, Walmart said that starting from May 18 all its fully vaccinated employees could stop wearing masks at work following the guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 14, 2021|title=Walmart says fully vaccinated employees can go without masks starting Tuesday|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/walmart-says-fully-vaccinated-employees-can-go-without-masks-starting-tuesday-2021-05-14/|access-date=May 15, 2021|work=Reuters|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514235045/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/walmart-says-fully-vaccinated-employees-can-go-without-masks-starting-tuesday-2021-05-14/|url-status=live}}</ref>