Wal-Mart at Forefront of Hurricane Relief
Washington Post (09/06/05) , P. D1; Barbaro, Michael; Gillis, Justin

Wal-Mart played a key role in the relief effort following Hurricane Katrina, contributing not only an unrivaled $20 million in cash but also 100,000 meals worth of food, 1,500 truckloads of free merchandise, and promised jobs for all of its displaced workers. Wal-Mart is being touted as a model for disaster planning and logistical efficiency at a time when government officials at the state and federal levels are being heavily criticized. For example, Wal-Mart already had 45 trucks full of merchandise ready for delivery at its Brookhaven, Miss., distribution center even before the hurricane made landfall. The company also secured a special line at a gas station nearby to make sure employees could make it to work. "Wal-Mart has raised the ante for every company in the country," said Adam Hanft of the branding and marketing firm Hanft Unlimited, adding, "this is going to change the face of corporate giving." Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott Jr. has received a great deal of favorable attention for the company's efforts, including an appearance on "Larry King Live" and praise from former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The company, which has been embattled by criticism and is currently facing a series of lawsuits alleging gender discrimination and violations of wage and hour laws, has turned its enormous scale into a positive factor with its disaster-relief efforts. Some things have been less than perfect for Wal-Mart since the hurricane hit, as the storm has closed a number of stores in the affected region and several of its stores in New Orleans were looted, although company spokeswoman Mona Williams said that "we did not try to stop the looting or take merchandise out."