Philadelphia, PA, April 19, 2010 – The Federation of Neighborhood Centers (Federation), an umbrella organization that supports 45 Philadelphia neighborhoods through 15 settlement houses and community centers, announced the expansion of its three-year partnership with ARAMARK, a global provider of professional services based in Philadelphia, to continue to enrich the lives of local children and families.
Community centers address some of the nation’s toughest challenges; however, with today’s tight budgets and lack of resources, community center staff and facilities are being stretched towards capacity. Over the past year, 30 percent more people have come to the Federation’s centers for help and guidance, yet there has been a decrease in food donations and financial support. Through this continued commitment, ARAMARK seeks to help the Federation bridge that gap by helping to prepare and connect people to jobs, educate families about how they can live healthier lifestyles and to ensure individuals access to the most basic needs of food, clothing and housing.
The continuing partnership with the Federation is part of ARAMARK Building Community, a company-wide philanthropic and volunteer initiative which helps neighborhood centers around the world tackle community issues such as job readiness, nutrition and wellness education, hunger and homelessness by fostering long-term support for those centers. The program will reach more than 40 cities by the end of 2010.
“ARAMARK has always been at its heart a company that embodies the idea of service. By focusing our expertise, ARAMARK Building Community gives employees the power to enrich lives in the communities where we live and work, making a sustainable and meaningful impact,” said Joseph Neubauer, ARAMARK chairman and CEO. “We match the skills of our employees around the world to the specific needs of local community centers. You might see an ARAMARK chef or dietitian leading a healthy cooking seminar, or a human resource expert teaching a workforce preparation workshop. I think that’s what truly makes this program different—and so successful.”
Since 2008, ARAMARK employee volunteers and the Federation have hosted joint career fairs, helping to connect nearly 90 Philadelphians to jobs, and have provided 400 youth and adults with workforce training. The company’s dietitians and culinary experts taught hundreds of community members, strategies on how they can live healthier lifestyles. Through Center Enhancement Days, employees refurbished nearly all of the Federation community centers through painting, landscaping and light construction and provided 2,500 local families with food and clothing through holiday and other drives throughout the year.
The company’s contributions of volunteer, financial, and in-kind support have impacted more than 20,000 Philadelphia families in need and included more than 1,500 ARAMARK employees volunteering 5,000 volunteer hours of service throughout the region.
“Our relationship with ARAMARK is the most unique and important partnership we’ve ever had with a major corporation. ARAMARK invests money, but more importantly works diligently to develop long-term strategies that leverage the vast expertise of their workforce to build the capacity of our member agencies,” said Diane Cornman-Levy, executive director of the Federation of Neighborhood Centers. “Through collaborative brainstorming, innovation and implementation, and ARAMARK’s deep commitment, the Federation has been able to establish core programs that provide resources for our members to educate them on healthier lifestyles and connect them to workforce opportunities.”
In 2010, the partnership will continue with a third large-scale service project on April 21, where several hundred ARAMARK employees will dedicate their time, energy and talents to renovate the facilities at the Village of Arts and Humanities (2544 Germantown Ave.). Volunteers will transform an empty lot into a vibrant, teen-run community garden to enhance an entrepreneurship program called Teens 4 Good. The program provides high school students with career and life skills training and teaches hands-on business activities. Volunteers will also clean the lot, repair a fence and create new planter beds, which will also be maintained by area high school students among other projects.
Throughout the year, ARAMARK and the Federation will continue to create programs to train and connect people to jobs through a unique curriculum and career fairs, youth job shadow days, ARAMARK Career Training (ACT) internships for high school students, launch an expanded Just4U Wellness workshop series and a youth workforce mentoring collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
About Federation of Neighborhood Centers
The Federation of Neighborhood Centers (Federation) was created in 1906 to help build stronger neighborhoods by strengthening families and civic life. Its mission is achieved by working with member agencies - a network of 15 community-based anchor institutions that collectively provide culturally sensitive programs and services to more than 100,000 children, youth, adults and families in 45 neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia per year. Learn more at the Federation’s website, www.federationnc.org.
About ARAMARK Building 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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