You Eat, Marriott Gives

Dine at a Marriott-branded Hotel in February and Help Tackle Youth Unemployment.

London –Throughout the month of February, Marriott-branded hotels in Europe will donate £1 or €1 (or equivalent) for every lunch and dinner served at participating hotels as part of a Europe-wide ‘You Eat, We Give’ programme established by Marriott to raise funds to help tackle youth unemployment. This promotion is part of Marriott’s Europe-wide “World of Opportunity” initiative, announced earlier this week, which will help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds reach their full potential by providing life skills and vocational opportunities. In the UK Marriott’s funding will enable The Prince’s Trust to run employability courses at their 15 centres, and in Continental Europe the funds will provide vocational training and scholarships through SOS Children’s Villages’ Youth programme.

“The ‘You Eat, We Give’ promotion is a way for us to show our commitment to helping young people in Europe prepare for meaningful employment. Giving back to our community is at the heart of the Marriott culture and the way we do business. We look forward to welcoming guests into our hotels for a great meal while showing support to the young people in our communities,” said Reiner Sachau, chief operations officer for Marriott International in Europe. Sachau added, “We hope that through this new initiative we will help make a positive impact on the lives of young people across Europe in the communities where we operate.”

Marriott's commitment to society blends corporate financial contributions with in-kind giving and the volunteer service of our associates around the world.  The company participates in efforts to provide shelter, food, and children's health, while creating career opportunities for associates in the workplace and supporting education in the hospitality industry.  In 2010, Marriott’s worldwide charitable contributions totaled $34.6 million from donations of cash, in-kind and volunteer time. 

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About The Prince’s Trust
Youth charity The Prince's Trust helps change young lives. It gives practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. It works with 13-to-30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law. The Prince of Wales’s charity has helped more than 650,000 young people since 1976 and supports 100 more each day. Last year, more than three in four young people supported by The Trust moved into work, education or training.  In April 2011, Fairbridge became part of The Prince’s Trust. The new united organisation will help 50,000 young people this year

About SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is an international, non-governmental social development organisation that provides services in the areas of care, education and health for children who have already lost or who are at risk of losing parental care. The organisation was founded in Austria in 1949 and today runs more than 2,100 programmes for some 2.2 million children and adults in 133 countries and territories. Its work is guided by the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

SOS Children's Villages adheres to the principle that every child grows best in a family environment, with caring parents or caregivers, living together with their siblings, in a place they can call home. SOS Children's Villages works with communities, local partners and authorities to support disadvantaged families across the world, thus preventing family breakdown.

When necessary and when it is deemed to be in the child's best interests, there is the option for children to grow up in foster families or in an SOS Children's Villages family, where children are supported, protected and cared for until they reach adulthood.

SOS Children's Villages also aims at sensitising decision-makers to the concerns that children face and influencing them to make changes in policies and practices that undermine the well-being of children, especially of those without parental care.For more information on SOS Children’s Villages please visit www.sos-childrensvillages.org

Connect with elizabeth.caminiti@marriott.com