Marriott Europe: You Eat, We Give

Marriott Europe aims to create 20,000 career opportunities for young people by 2020

Throughout the month of September, participating Marriott International Hotels in Europe will donate £1 or €1 for every lunch and dinner served as part of a Europe-wide ‘You Eat, We Give’ campaign established by Marriott to raise funds to help tackle youth unemployment.

The promotion is part of Marriott’s Europe-wide “World of Opportunity” initiative, which helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds reach their full potential by providing employment skills and vocational opportunities.   In the UK, Marriott’s funding will enable youth charity The Prince’s Trust to run employability courses for vulnerable young people and in Europe the funds will provide vocational training and scholarships through SOS Children’s Villages’ Youth Programme.

Over the past four years, Marriott in Europe has raised nearly €1.5 million cash and in-kind donations for its charitable partners and offered training and development opportunities to 650 disadvantaged youths, with some securing jobs in culinary fields.

“This fundraising campaign is now in its fourth year and it continues to be a rewarding project for our hotels and also our charitable partners.  ‘You Eat, We Give’ is a way for us to show our commitment to helping young people in Europe find 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.

Marriott's long-term commitment to responsible business practices includes support that ‘gives back’ to local communities.  The company supports local and global charities through financial contributions, in-kind donation of products and services and the volunteer services of our associates around the world.  In addition to youth employability, Marriott’s social responsibility strategy encompasses sustainability, hunger relief, affordable housing, children’s well-being, education in the hospitality industry and empowerment of women, people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups.  In Europe last year, Marriott’s charitable contributions totalled more than €2.4 million in cash and in-kind donations and more than 40,000 hours of volunteer time.

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About The Prince’s Trust
Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. It supports 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Many of the young people helped by The Prince’s Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness or mental health problems, or they have been in trouble with the law. The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training. The Prince of Wales’s charity has helped 750,000 young people since 1976 and supports over 100 more each day. Further information about The Prince’s Trust is available at princes-trust.org.uk or on 0800 842 842.

About SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is an international, non-governmental 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 1949 and today runs more than 2,300 programmes reaching more than a million children and adults in 134 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 loving parents or care-givers, 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, 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 a foster family 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 to influence decision-makers to make changes in policies and practices in order to promote the well-being of children, especially of those without parental care.

More information on SOS Children's Villages can be found at www.sos-childrensvillages.org