Over a dozen local non-profits nationwide were recently recognized as part of Choice Hotels International, Inc. Your Community, Your Choice program. This program, which began in 2019, empowers hotel owners and operators to make a positive difference in their communities. The recipients of the grants, totaling $75,000, exemplify Choice Hotels’ commitment to serving the communities where our owners and operators work and live.
“We are proud to recognize and celebrate the impact of these charities Choice hotel owners and operators nominated to receive grants,” said Megan Brumagim, vice president, sustainability, Choice Hotels International. “As local business owners themselves, owners and operators strive to be good stewards in their communities. The Your Community, Your Choice program is just one example of how Choice helps make that happen.”
This year, some of the non-profits which received grants include:
- Center for Veteran’s Issues (CVI): Nominated by Radisson Hotel Milwaukee West (Milwaukee, WI), the funds will be donated to the Center for Veterans Issues (CVI) to provide housing and supportive services to help improve the quality of life for veteran families and the communities in which they live and serve.
- Choices for People: Nominated by Comfort Inn St. Robert/Fort Leonard Wood (Saint Robert, MO), the funds will be donated to the Choices for People Summer Youth Work Program to help more young people overcome a variety of disabilities and become productive members of society by helping them develop essential life skills.
- Clatsop Community Action: Nominated by Quality Inn (Seaside, OR), the funds will be donated to Clatsop Community Action to provide services to the homeless population in Seaside, veterans and other people who have served the community.
- Hope Clinic: Nominated by Radisson Hotel McAllen Airport (McAllen, TX), the funds will be donated to the Hope Clinic, which aids the most vulnerable members of the community. The donation will support the clinic’s immediate needs and play a crucial role in ensuring the continued provision of medical care and meals to those who need it the most.
- Out Youth: Nominated by Cambria Hotel Austin Uptown Near the Domain (Austin, TX), the funds will be donated to Out Youth – a safe place for youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities to be themselves.
- Positive Impact Foodbank: Nominated by Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg-Madeira Beach Marina (Madeira Beach, FL), the funds will be donated to the Positive Impact Foodbank in St. Pete, Florida, for a new industrial refrigerator.
- The Bridge on 7th Shelter: Nominated by Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Baxter, MN (Baxter, MN), the funds will be donated to The Bridge on 7th Overnight Shelter to further the non-profit’s efforts to house local community members who need a warm place to sleep.
- The Purple Door: Nominated by Econo Lodge Kingsville (Kingsville, TX), the funds will be donated to The Purple Door, which provides case management, legal advocacy, prevention education in the community, counseling services, support groups, a shelter and crises hotline to victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
- The Recovery Chick: Nominated by Clarion Pointe Galveston Seawall (Galveston, TX), the funds will be donated to Recovery Chick, a nonprofit organization that provides a safe accessible affordable housing for women coming out of sex trafficking and/or substance abuse recovery.
- Thistle Farms: Nominated by Radisson Hotel Nashville Airport (Nashville, TN), the funds will be donated to Thistle Farms to help women survivors recover and heal from prostitution, trafficking and addiction.
- Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery: Nominated by Quality Inn (Ontario, OR), the funds will be donated to the Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery to provide at-risk families with resources for food, clothing, diapers, hygiene products, housing, childcare and employment.
- Western Youth Network: Nominated by Graystone Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection (Boone, NC), the funds will be donated to the Western Youth Network, which works to eliminate Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and target the root causes of trauma.
- Wishes & More: Nominated by Radisson Blu Mall of America (Bloomington, MN), the funds will be donated to Wishes and More, which grants wishes to children with terminal and life-threatening illnesses.
As an advocate of local businesses since its founding, Choice places owners of its hotels at the center of everything it does. The Your Community, Your Choice program is one of many ways in which Choice empowers owners and operators to be engaged community members, including:
- Helping those in need, with ongoing efforts with the American Red Cross and Operation Homefront.
- Equipping hotels to help prevent human trafficking, and supporting its victims with PACT, Polaris, AHLA’s No Room For Trafficking, and SafeStay by ReloShare.
- Enabling hotels to reduce their environmental footprint by promoting sustainable practices and providing them with relevant tools such as the Room to be Green program.
