Davidson Hospitality Group Launches Inaugural “Davidson Day of Service” Companywide Initiative

Davidson Hospitality Group announces the inaugural launch of “Davidson Day of Service,” a new companywide initiative aimed at giving back to the local communities at all 83 individual hotels and resorts within the portfolio, from coast to coast. From supporting food banks and assisting homeless shelters to contributing goods and equipment to local schools to trail clean-ups, each participating property has developed a thoughtful, meaningful engagement to make a positive impact on its community during the month of November.

“Leading with heart and giving back are both intrinsic to Davidson culture and ladder up to two of my favorite company core values: ‘Be passionate about what you do; serve others with love’ and ‘Always do what’s right,’” said Davidson Hospitality Group Chief Executive Officer Thom Geshay. “Community service projects are not new to Davidson, as our company has been doing them for years. However, this is the first time we’ve done it on a coordinated basis to really highlight the terrific impact our teams are having across the country. I continue to be amazed by our team members for fortifying strong relationships with the communities in which we live and serve.”

Below is a sampling of Davidson Day of Service efforts taking place during November:

CORPORATE OFFICE
Davidson Hospitality Group corporate office built care packages with school supplies for Peyton Forest Elementary in Atlanta, a Title 1, Part A school, which is economically and educationally disadvantaged.

HILTON GARDEN INN – ARLINGTON/COURTHOUSE PLAZA

• Team HGI-Arlington is collaborating with New Hope Housing in Arlington, VA which is a 44 bed facility that offers adults access to resources in an ongoing effort to combat homelessness.
• An End To Homelessness: Founded in 1977, New Hope Housing is an innovative, award-winning non-profit agency in Northern Virginia committed to finding creative and lasting solutions to end the cycle of homelessness by offering homeless men and women the services they need to change their lives and succeed. And each of those success stories adds to a stronger, healthier community for all.
• As a team, we will prepare, assemble and deliver bagged lunches on November 9th. In addition to providing lunch, we are going to include individual, handwritten and inspirational messages. We decided on this organization, particularly because we see the effects of homelessness daily, right in our hotel neighborhood. Homelessness doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t isolate. Agencies like New Hope depend on volunteers and donations to keep their efforts thriving and available. We are honored to support their cause and are looking forward to doing so on a monthly basis moving forward.

HYATT LODGE

• Feed My Starving Children food packaging.
• Every year, millions of children die from preventable causes such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and undernutrition. Hunger is still causing nearly half of deaths in children under 5 years old. From this data, we estimate at least 6,200 children die each day from causes related to undernutrition. This is heartbreaking. Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) believes hope starts with food. As a Christian nonprofit, FMSC is dedicated to seeing every child whole in body and spirit. FMSC works with food distribution partners that stay with communities for the long haul, empowering them to move from relief to development. FMSC meals are developed by food science and nutrition professionals to supplement nutritional needs and reduce problems with malnutrition. Nutrition allows children to grow, thrive and develop to their full potential.
• As a hotel we try to pack meals at least twice per year with Feed My Starving Children.

SNOWPINE LODGE

• We adopted a trail near the Snowpine Lodge called the Temple Quarry Trail through the forest service. We will be having a Team outing for clean up and maintenance.

HYATT REGENCY CINCINNATI

• We will once again be participating in Freestore Foodbank’s Thanksgiving Holiday Foodbox Distribution.
• Freestore Foodbank’s mission is to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with our community, and our vision is to create a hunger-free, healthy, and thriving community. To achieve this vision, our objectives are to provide nutritious food, connect to support services and offer a pathway from crisis to stability.
• Ohio & Urban Cincinnati has significant issue with food insecurity and food deserts. Freestore Foodbank’s mission is “to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with our community, and our vision is to create a hunger-free, healthy, and thriving community. To achieve this vision, our objectives are to provide nutritious food, connect to support services and offer a pathway from crisis to stability.” The FSFB not only provides food to most of the Cincinnati & Northern KY foodbanks, they also have a program to provide Powerpacks. A Powerpack is a pack of food for students so they won’t go hungry over the weekend! Many of our Team Members live in the immediate Cincinnati community and some have found themselves in need of these resources. 
• We have a longstanding relationship with FSFB. We have volunteered with them for 15-20 years.

EMERY, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION

• The organization we have selected to support is The Sandwich Project of Minnesota.  The Sandwich Project exists to serve those with food insecurity through bringing community volunteers and community partners together to serve those in need.  The Emery is passionate about doing good in our community.
• We are collaborating with local food suppliers to contribute supplies for our event.  The event will be held in our event space for all team members to participate.  Our goal is to make over 300 sandwiches that will serve food shelves in the Minneapolis area.

MARGARITAVILLE RESORT LAKE TAHOE

• We will focus on another property clean-up day, that will help the Resort and our immediate surrounding areas. This will also help with the construction debris that is flying around and will help the community.

HOTEL ZACHARY

• For Davidson’s Day of Service, the Hotel Zachary will be volunteering at Nourishing Hope’s Lakeview Sheridan Market. The Lakeview Sheridan Market is the local food pantry that serves neighbors throughout Chicago whose income is below certain guidelines. Nourishing Hope also offers mental health and social services.
• We have many team members that live in the area, and some have shared they have been to the food pantry for food or services, especially during Covid. We started volunteering at the food pantry in early 2022 and volunteer by helping neighbors select food as well as restock the fridges/shelves while we assist with food distribution.
• We have also donated a number of hotel stay certificates that Nourishing Hope has used during their fundraising events. During their last event, they raised $900,000 that will help them continue to provide these essential services to the local community.

THE MILLS HOUSE

• We are planning to volunteer on Wednesday, November 15^th with the SC Department of Natural Resources and in partnership with one of our hotel vendors to plant artificial oyster reefs in our local waterways.
• The hotel currently partners with Casual Crabbing With Tia, who provides a local crabbing excursion for our guests, followed by “cooking their catch” at the hotel. The idea is to layer in oyster shell recycling at the hotel so that the team sees full circle the benefit of recycling and planting oyster reefs in our coastal community.

HOTEL ZEPHYR

• The Hotel Zephyr Team signed up to do gardening work at Mission Dolores Park on Thursday, November 16
• Prior to this year’s community service day, the hotel volunteered with  SF Parks and Recreation to do  garden work at the SF  Marina which is one of our local neighborhood parks. We need to preserve the park because it is part of SF History and it is also one the many reasons  why visitors from around the world and the locals come to visit SF.

WYNDHAM GRAND JUPITER AT HARBOURSIDE PLACE

• We will be hosting a themed lunch for the local fire department.
• Fire fighters play an important role in advocating for better public/people safety. Working in the hotel we have had our fair share of visits by the local fire department rather it’s been a serious accident or a false alarm. With that we have been able to build a good relationship and rapport with the local fire fighters. At times their dedication to our safety goes unnoticed as we feel that it is part of their job, however its more than that. Each and everyday these individuals truly put their life on the line for another human which is one of the most selfless things someone can do. For that we are honored to appreciate/celebrate them.

ISLAMORADA RESORT COLLECTION

• We will be volunteering at Burton Memorial Food Pantry in Tavernier, FL. We will be bringing donated items as well as helping them organize the food loading meals for delivery. This is one of the very few food banks in the area and contributes to helping the locals who need food.
• This is a new partnership that we’ve established and hope to continue to do so in the new year.

CANOPY PHILADELPHIA CENTER CITY

• We will be doing two thing so that we can include as many associates as possible.  We will be Helping with Lunch Service at Broad street Ministries, We have partnered with them for the past two years with Clothing drives.  Their very unique set up, they are actually they Address for over  4700  Homeless Adults. They also have a closet set up to give out Socks and Clothing as needed.
• Our Second Choice was for  Philadelphia Community Fridges,  These are fridges located thru out the city in Neighborhoods where it is most needed and we will be leaving full Thanksgiving Meals in several different fridges around the city.

THE ALEXANDER

• As a leadership team, team Alex will be participating in the White River Cleanup project with our partners at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful on November 9^th.  KIB is one of our core partners in the downtown areas and does a tremendous amount of work to ensure Indy is always looking beautiful.
• We are also providing assistance to Gleaners Food bank on two shifts around the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.

21C MUSEUM HOTEL CHICAGO

• Partnering with a local organization called Cradles to Crayons. They have locations in a few other major cities in the U.S.
• How many parents have gently used baby up to 12 yr. old clothes that their children have grown out of.  Why store it away if you are done having children.  Donate in need, our team here at 21C is diverse and whether they have children of their own or grandchildren, majority can relate to this organization in helping out our future kids.
• We are holding a clothing/donation drive for our property and then volunteering to see where do the donations go (full circle).

MARRIOTT LITTLE ROCK

• Arkansas Children’s Hospital- We are collecting enough personal hygiene products to make 200 compassion bags. This will be an ongoing project for November. Arkansas Children’s is ranked in seven specialty services according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 “Best Children’s Hospitals.” This makes us the most decorated health system in the state, ranking in the most specialty services of any other hospital. We are proud of what this hospital accomplishes for the whole state.
  • Arkansas Food Bank- Volunteer Day-November 8 from 8 AM-12 PM. Packing and sorting donated boxes.
  • Ronald McDonald House—Volunteer Day – RED APRON PROGRAM-Dinner Service at 5:30 PM on December 13th. In the past, the culinary department would put together a meal and we would take it and serve the families that were staying at RMH. We have not partnered with RMH in a couple of years and are excited to get back involved with them.

MARRIOTT OVERLAND PARK

• Volunteering with PawsAbilities
• This nonprofit assists young people with disabilities and works with animals, which are both important to our staff.  With this event we will have the opportunity to work with the youth with disabilities while making dog treats, shirts and toys for the dog treat bakery that they run.
• This will be our first event with them but would love to make it an ongoing partnership.

BARNSLEY RESORT

• Barnsley Resort is participating in Back Pack Buddies November 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 30^thduring the month of So we will not have just one day of service, but four days of services.
  • The Backpack Buddies Program is important to Barnsley Resort because the program provides children in Cartersville City and Bartow County schools from food-insecure homes with weekend meals during the school year. BPB works with local corporations, civic groups, churches and individuals to collect and pack bags with kid-friendly non-perishable food. The children receive a backpack containing nutritious, self-serve food that will sustain them when school meals are not available. The children are selected by school principals, guidance counselors, social workers and various after school programs who identify the “at-risk” child and currently serves 330 students in four city schools in Bartow County. Research shows hungry children have poorer mental and physical health, suffer with more behavioral disorders and are less prepared to learn when they are in school. Hunger is an increasing epidemic in Bartow County and there ware an estimated 700 homeless children in Cartersville (258)/Bartow County (442). The Backpack Buddies program is essential to help relieve hunger, which in turn will improve grades, health, school attendance and self-esteem in these children

VIEWLINE RESORT, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION

• We did a Trail Crew Day and Adopted a local Trail
• This is a local trail that our property is actually named after.  It is called the Viewline Trail.

THE GABRIEL

• The Gabriel Miami will be donating to Camillas House in November
• It provides meals and housing to homeless people. Also provides counseling services to get people  back on their feet.

ROYAL PARK

• On our day of service, we will be donating Thanksgiving meals to families in need in Rochester.
• We partner with the Rochester School District to identify the families in most need. We then will take our Thanksgiving to-go meals and deliver them the day before thanksgiving to those families with a card from the Royal Park staff.
• Each family will receive a full Thanksgiving spread with our message that we are thankful for the opportunity to serve them.
• 10 team members will deliver 5 meals on the 22^nd to families that would not have had a Thanksgiving.

BAKER’S CAY RESORT

• We will be providing 5 day passes to the Key Largo School Safety Patrol.
• The organization is important because it assists in raising money so the 5^th graders of this school can take a trip to Washington DC at the end of the year.
• New Organization for 2024

HILTON ALEXANDRIA MARK CENTER

• The Hilton Alexandria Mark Center has started a new partnership with Arlington Food Assistance Center. We will be volunteering at their food bank in November and December as well as participating in in Sponsor Purchased Food program in February. The SPF helps to off set food cost for AFAC which allows them the ability to serve more individuals within the local community. We are excited to be able to Serve Others with Love!

HIGGINS HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE  

• Congressional Medal of Honor Society and The National WWII Museum Announce Honorees to be Recognized at 2023 Convention in New Orleans. The Higgins will be proudly serving as the official hotel of The National World War ll Museum during this historic event on November 3, 2023.  Over 40 Congressional Medal of honors recipients will be on property at the same time. ( something that has never happened in the history of our great nation or this annual gathering of Medal of Honor Recipients.)
• The entire hotel staff will be participating in the welcome parade on our campus along with receiving lines during this multi day event that will honor our Heros.  As the official hotel we will have the honor of housing these great Americans and their loved ones.
• Paul Hilliard, one of the honorees and the donor who underwrote with a $7 million dollar donation to the hotel’s Paul and Madeline Hilliard Conference Center at the Higgins will be one of the honorees recognized at this historic event which is the largest annual gathering of Medal of Honor Recipients and one of the country’s most prestigious and patriotic events.
• The staff of The Higgins Hotel and Conference Center a CURIO by Hilton is truly honored to be a part of this once in a lifetime event.  Our team lives our purpose every day as we work to fund the educational endowment of the National World War ll Museum so that future generations will learn about Americas Greatest Generation and their contribution to the War that changed the world.
• The partnership with our owners, The National World War ll Museum is an ongoing relationship that gives back to our public daily.  We assist in bringing to life the story of our Namesake, Andrew Higgins, and his contribution to the War efforts.  His factories that lined the bayous and rail yards of New Orleans employed over 20,000 New Orleanians who worked tirelessly to provide the landing crafts that won the war.
• Having the opportunity to celebrate this historic event and simultaneously participating in Davidson’s day of service is a special moment in our hotel’s history.
• This partnership and our mission is brought to life in our daily work.

WAVE RESORT / BUNGALOW HOTEL

• Long Branch , Local government and first responders appreciation night.
• As a show of our appreciation, we invite all Long Branch local government and first responders and their families to join us for an evening of drinks and small bites at Carousel Bar, followed by complimentary games and bowling in Pier Pins

ALOFT SFO / WESTIN SFO

• Hosting a Luncheon for the San Mateo County Police Department City of Millbrae, California on November 7th
• The San Mateo County Police Department is an essential Westin & Aloft partner. They provide service to us in countless ways, including responding to our calls for help within minutes and diffusing any potentially harmful situations quickly and quietly. They have assisted us with many traffic issues and helped connect us and city officials to have various signs made and laws put in place to make things much easier for our guests regarding the flow of traffic, etc. They also stop in often to say hi and ensure we have everything we need from a safety and security standpoint. It is great to be able to serve them for once, and it is the least we can do.
• We have an ongoing partnership with the SanMateo County Police Department City of Millbrae.

WYNDHAM GRAND CLEARWATER BEACH

• For our day of service, we plan to do a Thanksgiving Food  Drive for RCS Grace House/Hope Villages of America and also  serve the homeless at St. Vincent De Paul Soup Kitchen.
• RCS Grace House/Hope Villages of America supports those in our community facing hunger, homelessness, domestic violence or a lack of basic needs. We have partnered with them over the years as we support their mission and have always been impressed with how they treat individuals and families with care and compassion.  When team members here at our resort face homelessness or domestic related incidents, they are one of the first places we reach out to and they always find a way to accommodate.  Also, one of our very first hires when we opened the resort was a team member who was staying at their shelter and is now in a senior management role. She has also been selected as the American Hotel and Lodging Employee of the year for 2022. St Vince de Paul Soup Kitchen is the closest facility to our resort that feeds the homeless in Clearwater Beach in a dignified way. They also assist individuals to find gainful employment so that they can be rehabilitated into society. This is an ongoing partnership for us since 2018.

LE MERIDIEN HOUSTON DOWNTOWN

• Le Meridien Houston will partner with The Houston Food Bank for our Davidson Day of Service Project. Le Meridien Houston will host a two-week food drive benefiting The Houston Food Bank, which is one of the nation’s largest food banks. Our property is in the heart of a large city with a large homeless population. Partnering with The Houston Food Bank, which is the suppling source of many of the local soup kitchen and neighborhood pantries will allow us to be a small benefactor for an even greater purpose.
• This will be our first year partnering with the HFB with many more to come.

NEWPORT HARBOR ISLAND RESORT

•  Partnering with the local Boys and Girls Club to package Thanksgiving dinners for families in need.
• This organization has a long history within Newport Rhode Island, since 1956, they have been providing services to children, young adults and families that help support them. This in turn helps them realize their full potential and become prosperous, successful adults of the community.
• This is a new organization that we will be partnering with for 2023!