Morristown, NJ, May 20, 2010 – Morristown Neighborhood House (Neighborhood House), which provides a range of services including pre-school, educational programs, recreational activities, workforce readiness services and social programs to 1,500 individuals daily, is expanding its key partnership with ARAMARK, a global provider of professional services, to provide comprehensive career development services with a revitalized Workforce Readiness Room. The partnership is a part of ARAMARK Building Community, a company-wide initiative that strengthens the role local community centers play in providing ongoing support for families in more than 40 cities.
More than 125 ARAMARK employees will create a more vibrant, safe and inspiring environment for the community by participating in 28 enhancement projects during a day of volunteer service on Thursday, May 27. Volunteers will repaint the House’s lobby, board room, second floor walls, restrooms, classroom, teen room and offices and build planter beds, picnic tables and benches for the outside basketball court.
Morris County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state at 10 percent, according to the State of New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. However, Neighborhood House representatives say the need to provide programs and services for those looking for work is still at a critical point. Sixty four percent of the families that use its services have an annual income below $32,000, which according to the Newark Standard Metropolitan Area Guidelines is considered “very low for a family of two.” Overall, 85 percent of the families the center serves have very low or low incomes.
Due to this demonstrated need, projects will include the revitalization of the Neighborhood House Workforce Readiness Room. The ARAMARK team will repaint walls, build shelving, provide resources for job listings and create inspirational murals. The refurbished room will help the center prepare youth and adults for the workforce through classes, curriculum and job placement assistance. ARAMARK human resource professionals will support the new center by hosting and leading these career preparation workshops.
“The economic downturn hit families and our operating budget especially hard, so the enhancement projects around the center will help offset our facility maintenance costs, which can then fund other critical programs,” said David Walker, executive director of Morristown Neighborhood House. “One of our greatest challenges at Neighborhood House is helping families obtain and retain employment in the current economy. ARAMARK has already provided a direct impact to our community with nutrition and wellness education, and we look forward to further leveraging ARAMARK employee expertise to help train youth and adults for the workforce through existing and new programming.”
Community centers address some of the nation’s toughest challenges, especially during difficult economic times. Unfortunately, awareness and support for their vital work remains limited, while demand for services continues to increase and center staffs and facilities are being stretched toward capacity.
“ARAMARK Building Community is modeled on the strong service culture of our company and allows us to harness the energy and talent of our team to make a meaningful impact in the community,” said Ira Cohn, president of ARAMARK Business and Industry and local ARAMARK Building Community executive sponsor. “We are dedicated to this partnership with Neighborhood House and are committed to continuing to support and strengthen programs to help families succeed.”
ARAMARK Building Community is a call-to-action to help community centers impact lives through a company-wide philanthropic and volunteer program which uses skills-based volunteerism to help neighborhood centers identify solutions for some of the most important community issues. The program fosters long-term support for those centers by lending its workforce-related skills training expertise to help educate and connect youth and adults to the workforce, provide health and wellness awareness information so families can live healthier lifestyles and support access to basic human needs.
The Neighborhood House and ARAMARK will continue to offer health and wellness education by providing realistic tips on nutrition, wellness and food preparation during the center’s annual Community Family Day and through existing programs. Volunteers also coordinated a children’s gift drive to support the organization’s holiday party that benefited 250 local families.
About About Morristown Neighborhood House
Morristown Neighborhood House was founded in 1898 as a settlement house that helped Italian immigrants in becoming acclimated to a new culture. Our core mission; helping new immigrants, helping families who are confronting economic challenges and fostering cross cultural acceptance; has remained the same. We currently run programs in five cities and eight locations in Morris County. Through programs in Morristown, Dover, Randolph, Denville and Frelinghuysen Middle School on an average day over 1,500 children and youth receive services from Neighborhood House. For more information about Neighborhood House, please visit our website www.neighborhood-house.org or contact David Walker, Executive Director, at (973)538-1229 ext. 26 or walkerd@neighborhood-house.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.
Contacts:
Bev Dribin
(215) 238-8267 (direct)
Dribin-bev@aramark.com
Krystin Willliamson, Allison & Partners
(619) 533-7974 (direct)
krystin@allisonpr.com