Salvation Army of Southern California Expands ARAMARK Partnership to Strengthen Santa Ana Community

SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army of Southern California and ARAMARK, the global professional services company, today will celebrate the continuation of their four-year partnership by creating a dedicated education and workforce readiness space at the Salvation Army's Santa Ana Community Center.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110907/PH63208LOGO)

More than 100 ARAMARK volunteers will help transform an underutilized, rundown building into an inviting community facility where a variety of community, education and workforce programs will take place. Following the project, ARAMARK employees will continue to assist the center with programs such as English-As-A-Second-Language and workforce readiness classes. The relationship is part of ARAMARK Building Community (ABC), the company's signature philanthropic and volunteer program, which enriches the lives of local families by strengthening local community centers.

"ARAMARK is helping us address the need for more job-related training and programming in this community by providing a center that is safe, welcoming and inviting, allowing us to expand our reach here as we revitalize our efforts," said the Salvation Army's Major Antonio Horta. "With the renovation of this center we will have something to celebrate within our community."

Horta noted that a 2009 survey ranked the Santa Ana area as one of the nation's toughest cities, with high rates of crime, poverty, unemployment and under-employment.  The unemployment rate is over 10%, and many residents work in jobs that are only seasonal, and are struggling to support themselves and their families.

"We're very proud of our ongoing relationship with the Salvation Army of Southern California. The ability to expand our involvement throughout the region, at places like the Santa Ana Community Center, allows us to support the communities that need us," said Brad Drummond, President and Chief Operating Officer of ARAMARK Uniform Services in Burbank. "ARAMARK employees bring their energy and skills to this partnership, helping to build strong neighborhoods so families can succeed."

ARAMARK support of the Salvation Army of Southern California has included the Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center - Peco Union Neighborhood in Los Angeles, Salvation Army Santa Fe Springs Transitional Living Center in Whittier and the Salvation Army Bell Shelter in Bell.

Next month, ARAMARK volunteers will help the Salvation Army of Southern California prepare and serve the annual Feast of Sharing Thanksgiving dinners for more than 2,000 people in need in the Los Angeles area. The ARAMARK Los Angeles Convention Center team will prepare the three-course dinner, which will be served by volunteers from ARAMARK, City Year, the Salvation Army and others. This is the fourth year in a row that ARAMARK and the Salvation Army have partnered for the event.

Through ARAMARK Building Community, the company develops long-term partnerships to improve facilities, prepare youth and adults for careers and connect them to the workforce, and encourage healthy lifestyles through health and wellness education and awareness. By the end of 2011, ARAMARK Building Community will be in more than 50 cities impacting more than 2.5 million individuals and families in the US and abroad. Visit ARAMARK Building Community on Facebook.

About the Salvation Army of Southern California

For more than 120 years the Salvation Army has been delivering services and hope to the less fortunate on the streets of Los Angeles and to those in shelters, schools, and daycare centers across the Southland. The Santa Ana Community Center serves about 1,250 children and adults each month. Internationally, the Salvation Army is an organization with a lineage of public service that dates back to 1865, and has evolved over the decades into a social service provider with an unmatched scope and breadth. The Salvation Army currently has representation in 120 different countries worldwide, in addition to nearly 8,000 centers of operation across the United States.

About ARAMARK

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as the industry leader in FORTUNE magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies," and as one of America's Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 255,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com, or www.twitter.com/aramarknews.

Contact:
Major Antonio Horta, The Salvation Army of Southern California
714-545-2937
Mary Rucci, ARAMARK
215-238-7110

SOURCE ARAMARK