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Wal-Mart Continues Charitable Donations, Pushes To Open More Stores In D.C.

By: Patrick Madden // August 11, 2011
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As Wal-Mart pushes to open up stores in the District, it continues to make charitable donations to different local causes. Today the giant retailer announced it's donating $3 million to job training programs in D.C.

City officials say the funds will be used to train more than 2,000 District residents.

Most of the money will go to the city’s new community college to set up customer service training classes and a program called the 'retail academy.'

Meanwhile, as Wal-Mart continues to donate money to programs in the District, such as offering a $100,000 grant to cleanup the Anacostia River, negotiations between the city and Wal-Mart over the opening of four or five stores are still ongoing. Mayor Vincent Gray says a proposed community benefits package is being worked out.

But opponents of Wal-Mart, such as Dyana Forester, say they believe retailer through these donations is trying to buy off city lawmakers and force the city to accept the stores without a legally binding agreement.

Officials with Wal-Mart and the city say there are no conditions attached to the money.

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