A social solution to hunger

Walmart turned to Facebook to spread awareness of hunger with an innovative initiative to determine how $1.5 million in grant money will be divvied up among 100 U.S. cities, but the social media effort is ending soon and Walmart is encouraging last minute “likes” as the New Years Day deadline approaches.

At the end of the campaign, the community with the most “likes” will receive $1 million in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. The five communities with the next highest votes will each receive $100,000 in grants. Since Nov. 15, nearly 90,000 votes have been cast. Currently, Fresno, Calif., is leading the way with the most “likes,” but Grand Rapids, Mich., and San Antonio, Texas, are not far behind, the company said.

“We know that there are people in this country who go hungry every day, so we are doing our part to support some of the neediest communities,” said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation.

Those interested in participating can visit www.facebook.com/walmart or www.walmart.com/fightinghunger and “like” one of the 100 hungriest communities based on a study from the Food Research and Action Center that identified communities with the highest hunger rates.