Aramark Inspires Children in Queens to Live Healthy Lives
More than 100 area employees volunteer at Sunnyside Community Services on first annual Global Volunteer Day
Sunnyside, Queens, NY, March 19, 2014 /3BL Media/ – In Sunnyside, Queens, children struggle with a multitude of health issues. Nearly one in four children are considered obese according to municipal statistics. Citywide, and nearly half of all elementary school and pre-school children are not at a healthy weight.
Recognizing the number of health and wellness issues in Sunnyside, Queens, and across the globe, Aramark is extending its health and wellness platform and commitment, Healthy For Life™, into underserved communities. During the company’s inaugural Global Volunteer Day on March 19, more than 100 New York-area employees will partner with Sunnyside Community Services, a member center of United Neighborhood Houses of New York (UNHNY) in an effort to provide children and families with better access to healthy food, nutritional education and active play and physical activity spaces.
Aramark will establish a Healthy for Life™ Zone that will be a year-round hub of health and wellness education and awareness. On March 19, employees will assemble Healthy for Life™ Snack Packs during the day that will be presented to children when they arrive for after-school programs. To provide a healthy meal and support outside the center, volunteers will create hundreds of healthy meal kits with recipe labels and notes of encouragement for the families. Aramark employees will also create an inviting eating space at the center, by enhancing the cafeteria with fresh paint and educational nutrition murals
“Every day, Aramark employees enrich and nourish lives through the work that we do. We are also dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in our communities,” said Joe Tinney, President, Aramark Facility Services. “Today on Global Volunteer Day, and year-round, we bring our health and wellness expertise, and our passion for service to communities like Queens to help those most in need.”
“UNHNY is excited that Aramark has once again chosen to partner with a settlement house from our network for their Global Volunteer Day,” said Nancy Wackstein, executive director of UNHNY. “UNH member agencies provide vital support to New York City communities, tailoring programs and services to target the needs of their neighbors. Aramark’s volunteer efforts centered around health and wellness will leave a lasting impression on the program participants at Sunnyside Community Services and we are thrilled that our long-standing partnership with Aramark has benefitted so many New Yorkers in need.”
The Aramark Healthy For Life™ community engagement program educates families on the simple steps and concepts such as finding healthy choices on a limited budget, preparing inexpensive, nutritious meals and introducing children to healthy food choices.
“We’re thrilled to have Aramark volunteers return to our center after the success of our project back in 2012, when volunteers made a number of improvements here” said Judy Zangwill, executive director of Sunnyside Community Services. “Through the support of Aramark’s dedicated volunteers, we’ll be better able to serve the 14,000 people who rely on our center ever year.”
Global Volunteer Day is an extension of Aramark Building Community, the company’s volunteer and philanthropic program that enriches lives by helping improve family health, prepare youth and adults for work and support individuals working their way out of poverty in New York and in 52 cities around the world. Through Aramark Building Community, the company donates time, expertise, financial and in-kind resources to help families in need. Since 2008, in partnership with community centers around the world, more than 20,000 Aramark employees have impacted the lives of some four million families. Please join us on Facebook.
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About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is in the customer service business across food, facilities and uniforms, wherever people work, learn, recover, and play. United by a passion to serve, our more than 270,000 employees deliver experiences that enrich and nourish the lives of millions of people in 22 countries around the world every day. Aramark is recognized among the Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE and the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
About United Neighborhood Houses of New York
United Neighborhood Houses (UNH) is a membership organization of 38 settlement houses and community centers in New York City. UNH promotes and strengthens the neighborhood-based, multi-service approach to improving the lives of New Yorkers in need and the communities in which they live. Today, UNH’s membership comprises one of the largest human service systems in New York City, with 38 agencies working at more than 400 sites to provide high quality services and activities to a half million New Yorkers each year. UNH supports its members through policy development, advocacy, and capacity-building activities. For more information, visit www.unhny.org.
