St. Louis, Ms, Aug. 13, 2010 – People of limited means in neighborhoods across St. Louis have long relied on community organizations to meet their basic needs. The recession has increased the demand for these critical services, especially among low income families, who have been hardest hit by rising unemployment, reduction in work hours and stagnation of family incomes.

Serving communities throughout St. Louis City, Grace Hill Settlement House collaborates with neighbors and partners to provide tools and resources to stabilize families and the community.  Grace Hill works with every stage of the life cycle from infants to elderly, providing programs to support early childhood and academic advancement, family advancement, aging services, and community and economic development. These vital services help people build productive lives and support their families while also fostering community and economic development. 

“Lack of access or opportunity, mass disinvestment of businesses, and limited coordination of existing community resources are the issues we face daily and the recession has intensified the situation,” said Dr. Roderick Jones, president and CEO of Grace Hill Settlement House. “We need reinvestment and stronger collaboration between individuals, businesses and agencies in order to create sustainable and economically viable communities.”

Through its new partnership with Grace Hill, ARAMARK employees will use their expertise to help youth and adults develop employable job skills that connect them to the workforce; support families with nutrition and wellness education; and fulfill basic needs such as food and clothing on an ongoing basis.

On Thursday, Aug. 19, more than 100 ARAMARK volunteers will dedicate their time, energy, and talents to transforming a small enclave in the College Hill neighborhood served by Grace Hill, called Peace Park, which has become a safe haven for residents. Volunteers will complete enhancement projects creating a more vibrant, safe, and inspiring environment. These include:

• Creation of an Outdoor Educational Area – Transforming an underutilized space into an educational area featuring an outdoor classroom and community garden to create a space where children and families can learn;
• Constructing cabinets, shelves and a sorting surface to increase the functionality of a wooden structure where park founder and local community advocate, Otis Woodard, has distributed clothing and supplies to residents in need for over 40 years; 
• Landscaping and Beautification – Planting trees, landscaping and creating garden beds to enhance the park and create a green, peaceful public space; 
• Refurbishing Park Facilities – Building benches, planter boxes and rebuilding the sandbox; and
• Reconstruction of the “Peace Table” - A basic needs distribution center for the community – with an inlaid mosaic depicting College Hill.

“Community organizations, such as Grace Hill, operate with limited resources yet address some of the nation’s toughest challenges – job creation, youth programs, and community building,” said Joe Tinney, executive vice president for ARAMARK Business & Industry Group, Facility Services and local ARAMARK Building Community executive sponsor. “By engaging the skills and expertise of our employees we can help these organizations better meet the needs of the communities they serve.”

“ARAMARK’s dedication to this project and to our community is a sign that College Hill residents have not been forgotten,” said Jones. “Our partnership represents the hope that together, we can make our neighborhoods whole again.”

The Peace Park project will contribute to the organization’s larger community revitalization by providing the neighborhood with a much-needed public gathering place. According to The Urban Institute, parks are not only valuable as places of recreation and as visual assets, they also help to build social capital in low income areas by encouraging residents to leave the isolation of their apartments, socialize with each another and form lasting relationships.

The mission of ARAMARK Building Community is to extend the important work of local community partners by supporting their efforts to provide solutions to help families succeed and achieve. This volunteer project and partnership with Grace Hill is part of a 40-city ARAMARK Building Community tour engaging thousands of employees in the U.S. and around the world in supporting local neighborhood centers and strengthening communities.

About ARAMARK Grace Hill Settlement House
Grace Hill Settlement House works in partnership with neighbors and stakeholders to identify the social and economic challenges in North and South St. Louis, and establish families and communities that are strong and self-sustaining.  Through multiple hub-like locations, thousands of St. Louis residents are impacted each year by the multitude of resources and services that Grace Hill Settlement House offers.  Grace Hill Enables Healthy and Productive Lives. www.gracehill.org

About ARAMARK Bulding Community
ARAMARK Building Community enriches the lives of families in need by supporting local community centers to help people of all generations learn, earn and thrive. ARAMARK recognizes the important role community centers play in addressing the comprehensive needs of individuals and families and is providing a range of resources including grants, volunteers and in-kind contributions. Through ARAMARK Building Community, volunteers will use their expertise to help youth and adults develop critical, employable work skills and connect them to career opportunities; support families with nutrition and wellness education; provide basic needs such as food and clothing; and help identified partners run cleaner, safer and more efficient facilities to enhance and strengthen the Center’s programs on an ongoing basis.

About ARAMARK
ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by the Ethisphere Institute, as the industry leader in FORTUNE magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies," and as one of America's Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 255,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at www.twitter.com/aramarknews.

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