AVIA The Woodlands - Help Support All-Girls School in Guatemala
David Brown, General Manager, and Dinora Chacon, Housekeeping Supervisor, joined forces with Karen Williams from The Woodlands Methodist Church, preparing a mission trip to Guatemala. The goal –colleting needed supplies for 120 students at an all-girl’s school near Guatemala City. During the early summer months, the entire staff at AVIA The Woodlands participated in donating non-perishable items such as clothing, shoes, school supplies and feminine products. They were overwhelmed at the amount of donations; 11 full boxes of supplies were sent to Guatemala!
Congratulations to the Woodlands team for their gracious and successful efforts in helping these children in need.
AVIA Savannah - Saving Lives by Hosting its First Blood Drive
AVIA Savannah successfully sponsored its first blood drive with the American Red Cross July 15th, 2009! The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The local blood bank approached the hotel in hopes that AVIA would host a company blood drive, and after announcing that for every pint of blood someone donates three lives are saved - the team at AVIA Savannah was committed to helping. The local blood bank had a goal of eight volunteers to donate blood; however, fourteen AVIA employees immediately signed up for the cause, with some being first time donors. A selfless and powerful way to serve the community, employees anticipate sponsoring future blood drives in order to rally more donors, saving more lives.
Pedro Perez, General Manager of AVIA Savannah said, "I think it's not only important to be a part of the community, but when you can save lives it's a bonus!" Pedro's enthusiasm is a reflection of the AVIA Savannah volunteers and the overall idea behind the blood drive and its slogan - Give Blood. Give Life.
LodgeWorks Brings Comfort to Charlotte Community
The Hyatt Summerfield Suites team located in Charlotte, North Carolina made a warm donation to the local Salvation Army.
As part of a recent renovation, LodgeWorks upgraded the bedspreads and mattress pads throughout the hotel. So the team contacted Salvation Army and donated over 140 bedspreads to hand out to people in the community.
As a result of this involvement, hotel employees in Charlotte took great pride in the fact that we were able to find the time to give to those in need.
Hotel Sierra Fishkill Hosts Red Cross Dinner
For two years straight, Hotel Sierra Fishkill hosted the American Red Cross Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner consisting of 150 attendees. The American Red Cross Dutchess County Chapter is instrumental in providing disaster relief to the community. The volunteers assist many families, regardless of their income, affected by flood and fire disasters. The one volunteer that "stands out" is recognized and awarded.
In addition to hosting the Annual Dinner we provide meeting space arrangements three times a year to the American Red Cross Blood Drives. The blood is used for the Local Hudson Valley Blood Bank.
LodgeWorks Builds on a Holiday Tradition
The LodgeWorks corporate office has a proud Holiday tradition of rallying around those who are less fortunate in our community with the adoption of needy families at the Guadalupe Clinic. We've been helping less fortunate families in our community for over 15 years. The program works just like the Angel Trees you see placed in local stores and malls.
Guadalupe Clinic relies completely on donations from the good people of Wichita, along with medical services that are donated by local physicians and nurses. Throughout the year, the Clinic identifies families of extreme need and tries to assist them during the holidays. They identify 2-3 families every year for LodgeWorks that can truly benefit from our generosity.
LodgeWalkers Unite for Cure
LodgeWorks has been involved with the MS Walk in Wichita for 12 years. Each year we form a team of walkers and participate in various fundraising events to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Fund raising days have included: jeans day, raffle, donut sale and donations from our hotels. We also solicit our LodgeWorks partner group for their contributions as well.
We've had great success raising funds for several years – and have been one of the top five fundraising teams at the Wichita MS Walk several years in a row. This event is always a lot of fun and we enjoy making a difference in the lives of those who suffer with Multiple Sclerosis.
Helping the United Way Make a Difference
LodgeWorks has been an active participant in The United Way of the Plains organization through corporate giving and employee contributions for many years. LodgeWorks has chosen to contribute to United Way because all dollars donated are used locally to assist in care for the elderly, at-risk youth, disaster relief and others in need.
LodgeWorks has consistently increased our support of United Way through charitable contributions over the years. LodgeWorks has been honored with the Pinnacle award, which is given for employee contributions. During the 2007 campaign, LodgeWorks was pleased that 100% of our employees chose to actively participate in the campaign. LodgeWorks has also received the “Circle” award twice in the past five years for going above and beyond campaign involvement and expectations.