Volunteers Bring New Life to Life-saving Community Center

This November, more than 100 ARAMARK employees in greater Houston revitalized the Cleveland-Ripley Neighborhood Center. Volunteers brought new life to the center by revamping the gazebo, planting trees, renovating the garden, repainting the basketball court, adding artwork and undertaking other restorative projects.



The Cleveland-Ripley Neighborhood Center is an important asset to the city. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, it served as a central location for FEMA assistance intake as well as a Red Cross shelter, providing sanctuary for more than 200 individuals and food for more than 1,300 families.



"With the recent challenges Houston has had to endure, the community - both businesses and neighbors - have really pulled together to invest in projects like the Cleveland-Ripley Center," said Angela Blanchard, President and CEO of Neighborhood Centers. "We are so thankful for our partnership with ARAMARK. Their support of our community center campuses, in addition to our workforce development programs and health and wellness initiatives, enhances what we are already doing to help strengthen neighborhoods and bridge cultural divides."



This will be the second ARAMARK service day project at one of NCI's community centers. Last year, volunteers restored and re-energized the Harbach-Ripley Neighborhood Center in Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood. In recognition of that work, Keep Houston Beautiful will recognize ARAMARK with a Mayor's Proud Partners Award on November 17.



"At ARAMARK, we have a legacy of putting community needs first. Our passion for volunteerism allows us to positively impact social issues in a powerful way, and in a manner that is truly relevant to our business strengths, our corporate culture, and the Houston community," said John Babiarz, ARAMARK Healthcare group president and local ARAMARK Building Community sponsor. "The ongoing partnership with Neighborhood Centers allows us to make a significant difference in Houston. Instead of simply bringing in our resources for one event, we have an ongoing commitment, one community center, one neighborhood, and one project at a time."



Neighborhood Centers and ARAMARK have developed several programs over the past several years. These efforts include co-hosting youth career fairs to help prepare young people for jobs and creating community health and wellness fairs to promote healthy lifestyle choices using the technical expertise of ARAMARK dietitians and chefs.



In 2009, the partnership will expand to include a workforce training program to recruit additional local high school students for ARAMARK internship positions, creating a curriculum of healthy cooking classes with ARAMARK chefs, and assessing the operational efficiencies of NCI facilities.



November 11, 2008


 
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