As part of IHG’s annual Giving for Good Month, it has announced a national partnership with Ozharvest, Australia’s leading food rescue charity.
The two-year partnership commenced at the start of September, and sees the two organisations stopping food from hotels going to waste and using it to feed hungry Australians via a network of charities across Australia.
As well as reducing food waste, the initiative provides high quality, nutritious meals to those in need, while reducing the negative impact on the environment by lightening the load on landfill. This is a signed minimum commitment of AS$100,000 per year for the initial two-year period.
Additionally, IHG will sponsor at least ten at-risk 16 to 25-year olds to earn a Certificate II or III in Hospitality through the Ozharvest Nourish Programme.
The partnership gives the young Aussies an opportunity to gain on-the-job training at IHG hotels through mentoring, hotel visits, work experience and engagement opportunities with the group’s food and beverage team.
Ronni Kahn AO, CEO and Founder, Ozharvest, commented:
“Not only does it make sense that we work together to rescue surplus food and feed hungry Australians, it also means we can give more young people the opportunity to go through life-transforming skills training and get experience in an IHG hotel.
“It’s an extraordinary opportunity for a young person who would never have that experience without the synergies between IHG and Ozharvest.”
Leanne Harwood, Managing Director Australasia and Japan, IHG, commented:
“We put sustainability at the forefront of all our thinking and have made some big commitments to energy, water, food and plastic reduction – but we can’t do it alone. That’s why this partnership is so important to us. Ozharvest are the experts who already make a huge difference in Australia every day, so it made complete sense to partner with them.”
Ozharvest was also selected as one of IHG’s global charitable partners to receive a share of money raised as part of Giving for Good month. During the month of September IHG’s hotel and corporate colleagues around the world raised more than US$400,000 which will help to give back to the community and do the right thing by the environment.
In addition to the Partnership commitment and global Giving for Good contribution, IHG’s Australian hotels raised US $25,000 in September by holding barbeques, raffles, challenges and Dollar Diners (where a dollar donation is voluntarily added to the final bill in restaurants, cafes and hotels).
IHG will continue to raise money every month through the Dollar Diners and other fundraising activity.
