Marriott Volunteers

Published in Marriott World

Spirit to Serve -- It's Everywhere!

by Karen M. Jones

For Curtis Sims, it wasn't just another day at the office. The director of Human Resources at the Renaissance

Houston Hotel in Texas met 40 fellow associates in the hotel lobby, all dressed in "Spirit To Serve" tee shirts and caps. They were heading out to prepare and serve a "Thanksgiving" dinner at the city's Star of Hope Transitional

Living Center, where homeless men, women and children temporarily occupy small, no-frills apartments and get needed support until they are ready to reclaim independent lives.

"It was enlightening for us," Curtis says, "to realize that 'homeless' doesn't necessarily mean living on the street. These people had just fallen on hard times--a woman whose husband abused her, people who were laid off from jobs, others with disabilities that limited their options. It reminded some associates that they're not alone in their

struggles, whether it's making ends meet or taking care of children.

"Everyone who participated said they never realized that just their presence could be so rewarding," Curtis says. "Sometimes just a smile makes the difference. It doesn't take a lot of time to give a person a little hope."

What Is "Spirit To Serve Our Communities"?

Simply stated, Marriott's "Spirit To Serve Our Communities" is a company-wide commitment to help others. Our company pledges "that every Marriott community will be a better place to live and work because we are there."

Toward that end, Marriott's community involvement helps nonprofit organizations in three ways: with hands-on help from associate volunteers, with donations of money, and with donations of discounted or free products and services such as food and lodging.

"'Spirit To Serve Our Communities' is more than just an attitude," says J.W. Marriott, Jr. "Driven by common sense and smart business practice, we actively support our communities--building goodwill, fostering understanding and creating lasting bonds with our neighbors."

These community service programs could not happen without the involvement of associates like you. You are the energy behind this spirit; you can make a big difference in the lives of others.

Catch the Spirit!

You have lots of ways to demonstrate Marriott's "Spirit to Serve" throughout the year. (See "How Can I Get

Involved?") One way is by participating in Marriott's annual Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day--a worldwide effort that organizes Marriott associates into volunteer teams throughout their communities. Held during Associate

Appreciation Week in May, Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day gives associates the chance to serve meals at homeless shelters, clean up playgrounds, entertain children, plant trees, visit senior citizen homes and more. This "global day of giving" just completed its second year, with thousands of Marriott associates in over 25 countries

participating in community activities.

This year, on Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day, associates at the JW Marriott Hotel Quito in Ecuador replaced broken windows, cleaned, painted and made repairs at the REMAR Foundation, a home for displaced and orphaned children. The day ended with shared pizza--a treat many of the children had never encountered before. The hotel has an ongoing relationship with the children, collecting coins from the hotel fountain and selling excess food and newspapers to a local recycler to fund holiday parties and food purchases for young residents. "There is one child, now 10 months old, who was abandoned at two weeks old, left there in a box with newspapers," says Fabricio

Lombeyda, Human Resources manager. "We've seen her grow into a healthy, happy child who has found a safe

haven, surrounded by people who love her. It's important that these children find out someone cares for them."

Another way you can help is by joining fundraising activities for Marriott Pride/Children's Miracle Network. By washing cars, bagging groceries, holding auctions and other events, associates raise $3 million each year for more than 170 children's hospitals in the United States and Canada.

At the MDS unit in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Senior Account Executive Diane Pillion oversees the sale of balloons that promote holidays and college football teams to raise money for the local St. Mary's Medical Center. The MDS

associates' contact with the public is limited, so this year, all 60 associates pitched in personally to raise $900--double their total from last year. "My heart breaks when I see those sick children, some of them in diapers the size of a matchbook," Diane says. "One baby weighed less than a pound and could have fit in the palm of my hand. Yet the smiles and love that come from these kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses is amazing."

Changing a Life Can Change Your Own

The rewards of giving to your community are many. By participating in Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day and other activities, you help Marriott to show we care about the communities we call home. But there are personal

rewards as well. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to meet community leaders and others who work to make things better. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with co-workers to build a house or feed the hungry lets you truly get to know one another. Depending on the activity you choose, you might have the chance to lead a team or learn new skills.

Perhaps best of all, your involvement makes a meaningful difference in someone's life. Here's what a

representative of Houston's Star of Hope program, where Curtis Sims and his co-workers volunteered, had to say: "That was a wonderful thing [Marriott associates] did. Thanks for thinking of the homeless we serve here. You have a big heart--especially for the little ones. One does not tend to reflect much on the requirements of the human spirit

until hard times hit. Then it is obvious that to be acknowledged is to build self-worth, and the fruit of self-worth is hope. Your efforts and those of your staff certainly gave a message of worth and hope to our clients at the Transitional

Living Center."

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