Sodexo Operations Keep Calm and Maintain Continuity throughout the Storm

GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 8, 2017 /3BL Media/ - With less than a month to go before the official start of the 2017 hurricane season, one organization’s employees offers a great example on how to keep customers calm and business running through the worst of storms.  Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, recently recognized its employees in the northeast who went above and beyond to keep senior-center residents safe and healthy during the March blizzard. As the storm that crippled several cities across New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, Sodexo’s employees in those areas put seniors first, working long hours and even sleeping at work to make sure their residents received the care they needed.

Joe Cuticelli, CEO of Sodexo’s seniors division in North America, praises local team efforts, citing positive “resident-first” cultural values that resulted in no disruptions at several northeast facilities. In an all-hands-on-deck effort, Sodexo’s operations teams stepped up in response to the blizzard:

• Dietary aide Lea Ann Hartley from The Brunswick at Attleboro in Langhorne, Pa., walked to work during the storm to make sure she was on hand to do her job.

• Roy McCarthy, the Facilities Management general manager at Wayne County Nursing Home in Lyons, N.Y., worked around the clock to make sure that all the parking lots and sidewalks were cleared. He then picked up other staff members to ensure all services were uninterrupted.

• Jonathan King, an Environmental Services team member at Sisters of St. Joseph Villa in Flourtown, Pa., offered to start work 5:00 a.m. to help the Maintenance Department shovel snow .To ensure he would be there on time, he came in a 1:00 a.m. and slept in the maintenance office chair. In addition, the community’s entire Dining Services team braved the elements so that residents and staff could enjoy hot meals and snacks throughout the day.

• Production Manager Christopher Hernandez of the Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, Pa., planned and organized everything before the storm, then spent the night on the kitchen floor so he would be there to take care of the residents and patients. He woke up early to make coffee and breakfast for the maintenance crew when they took a break from shoveling and clearing paths.

“I could not be more proud of the amazing culture that we have cultivated at Sodexo,” adds Cuticelli. “We always say our residents are ‘first, last, and always the heart of everything we do,’ and keeping our resident experience strong benefits not only our business but also the communities we serve.”

Sodexo believes that the time taken to build a strong service culture of engaged employees makes all the difference for residents’ comfort and families’ peace of mind. The company applauds the work of each of these dedicated staff members, recognizes their achievements and looks to continue providing top quality care to all of its senior residents across the country.

Sodexo USA is an American business that is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 80 countries. Delivering more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life, Sodexo is a leading provider of sustainable, integrated facilities management and food service operations. It employs 123,000 Americans at 12,500 sites across the country and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional U.S. jobs through its annual purchases of $9.2 billion in goods and services from small to large American businesses. In support of local communities across the U.S., the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed close to $30 million over the past 20 years to help feed children in America impacted by hunger.

Learn more about Sodexo at its corporate blog, Sodexo Insights.