 Fr. Matt Elshoff, OFM Cap., Pastor of Old Mission Santa Inés, Sr. Carmen Acosta, SDSH, Jared Reindel, Manager, Walmart Lompoc store, with one of the televisions and DVD players purchased with the Walmart Foundation grant. |
Old Mission Santa Inés, Solvang, has been the recipient of a generous grant from the Walmart Foundation to upgrade the media/technology needs in their meeting rooms and classrooms. With the generous support of Mr. Jared Reindel, Manager of the Lompoc Walmart store, flat screen televisions and DVD players were installed in meeting rooms and classrooms to enhance The Mission’s opportunity to support the needs of the parish, this historical site and outside organizations that use the property.
According to Fr. Matthew Elshoff, OFM Cap., Pastor of Old Mission Santa Inés, the donation helped to fund the purchase of “flat screen televisions and DVD Players” which both replaced old “big box” sets and VHS players as well as meet additional objectives of our technology plan by placing them in meeting rooms/classrooms where none existed. Fr. Matt said that this equipment will be used by the parish’s education programs, ministries and by outside community groups within the Santa Ynez Valley including First Start, People Helping People and AA groups, Tai Chi, neighborhood associations and more.
Fr. Matt expressed his gratitude by saying, “We want to thank the Walmart Foundation and Mr. Reindel of the Walmart Lompoc store for their generosity in helping us to enrich the lives of young and old through these modern multi-media opportunities, not only for OMSI but for the entire community.”
Many community organizations utilize our facility for community events, for example: Santa Ynez Valley Rotary’s 4th of July Fireworks Celebration and Solvang Rotary staging area for The 4th of July Parade, Rancheros Visitadores Tough Enough to Wear Pink ride, Fall Wine Harvest Celebration, Solvang’s Yulefest and Annual Christmas Tree Burn, the annual blessing of animals and greyhounds and many more community events.
The Walmart Foundation’s vision is to give back locally and engage in opportunities that align with the Walmart Foundation's key areas of focus: Opportunity, Sustainability and Community. For nearly 40 years, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have been committed to strengthening local communities through their Local Communities Facility Giving program. Walmart awards grants to local organizations making a difference on key issues in communities where Walmart Stores, clubs and distribution center associates live and work. In FY15, over 46,000 grants equaling more than $47 million were provided to organizations, including law enforcement agencies, fire departments, schools, recreation centers and more. For more information about Walmart Foundation, visit: http://giving.walmart.com/foundation.
The Walmart Lompoc store is located at 701 W Central Ave, Lompoc, CA 93436, (805) 735-9088.
Old Mission Santa Inés is located at 1760 Mission Drive, Solvang, CA 93463, (805) 688-4815. Visit our website: www.missionsantaines.org
Old Mission Santa Inés was founded on September 17, 1804 by Father Estevan Tapis and is the 19th of the original 21 California missions. It was named in honor of Saint Agnes, an early Christian martyr of the fourth century. Old Mission Santa Inés is a national historical landmark registered with the National Park Service. The mission is located in Solvang, a popular tourist destination town. Each day, we welcome many visitors from around the state, country and world. We are also a popular destination for weddings.