PHILADELPHIA – On Thursday, September 23, Aramark employees around the world will participate in Aramark Building Community (ABC) Day. Rooted in the company’s service culture, thousands of employees are reimagining what community involvement looks like in COVID times, and are volunteering in a variety of in-person and virtual projects, as part of the hospitality, facilities, and uniform services company’s annual day of service.
“Aramark employees are resilient, passionate, and united by our purpose to have a positive impact on people and planet. While COVID has impacted in-person volunteer activities, we remain committed to creatively supporting our nonprofit community partners, by providing grants, organizing small local activities, and hosting several virtual events,” said Jami Leveen, Vice President of Community Partnerships at Aramark. “I’d like to thank the dozens of volunteer project leaders across the company that are pitching in to support our efforts. We couldn’t do this without them.”
Aramark is giving back in a variety of ways this ABC Day. More than 80 small, local projects will occur across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and South Korea.
GRANTS
Aramark issued nearly 70 grants to nonprofits across the US and internationally to support increasing access to healthy food, personal health and wellness kits, back to school supplies, and ongoing COVID-19 related emergency cleaning and safety materials. In addition to these grants, the company also donated 10,000 3-ply disposable masks to the Boys and Girls Clubs in Dallas, TX and Brookhaven, GA.
TREE PLANTING
Employees in Nashville, Tennessee, will be planting trees in the neighborhood hardest hit by the devastating March 2020 tornado, adding badly needed restoration to the area, and enhancing the livability and healthiness of the area for residents.
VIRTUAL PROJECTS
Aramark is hosting virtual volunteer events supporting its community partners in Chicago, Dallas, and Philadelphia. Employees will build kits that will go directly to families and students and include:
- Environmental exploration kits to encourage students to get more involved with the world around them.
- Healthy meal kits to inspire families to grow their own fresh herbs and explore nutritious recipes from Aramark’s Healthy For Life nutrition education curriculum.
- Outdoor camping kits as part of a special program benefiting orphaned and vulnerable children and families.
- Welcome home kits featuring basic cleaning and household supplies for single parents in crisis, transitioning to permanent housing.
EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS
Aramark’s employee resource groups (ERGs) are an important part of the company’s culture. Each ERG represents a growing network of engaged and passionate employees giving voice to the diverse communities that make up Aramark’s workforce and marketplace, while also creating a more inclusive workplace. This year, several ERG leaders organized ABC Day projects benefiting a range of nonprofits, creating numerous volunteer opportunities for employees across the organization. Projects included providing grant funds to expand access to therapy supporting women, transgender, and gender non-conforming communities (Pride); donating100 backpacks filled with school supplies and haircut/hairdo vouchers (LEAD and Impacto); hosting a career workshop and a drive for school and kitchen supplies (Empower) and assembling 350 back to school supply kits and a thank you card writing campaign supporting military families (Salute).
About Aramark Building Community
Rooted in service and united by our purpose, Aramark strives to make a positive impact on people and planet by working to reduce inequity, supporting and growing our communities, and protecting our planet. Since its inception in 2008, Aramark Building Community, our signature philanthropic and volunteer initiative, has invested tens of millions of dollars, engaged more than 70,000 employee volunteers, and impacted more than five million children and families in underserved communities around the world. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Aramark has been working harder than ever to provide food and resources to employees and communities impacted by unprecedented challenges.
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world with food, facilities, and uniform services. Because our culture is rooted in service, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. Aramark has been named to DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, the Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality,” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
