Marriott International, Inc. and the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities Saluted by National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND THE MARRIOTT FOUNDATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SALUTED BY NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL (NAMI)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mar. 17 – Marriott International, Inc. (MAR / NYSE), and the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities were recently honored by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) for their leadership in providing employment opportunities to young people with disabilities and for encouraging that mission in the business community.
The Marriott Foundation’s “Bridges…from school to work” program, which operates in six major U.S. communities, has placed 4,500 young people with disabilities with over 1,200 employers since 1990; 89 percent of students completing the program have received offers of continued employment.
Marriott International, Inc. and the Marriott Foundation were the only businesses honored, joining 13 members of Congress and the Clinton administration who were also saluted at a February 29 reception held at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington. Honorees included Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman; Senators James Jeffords (R-Vt.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) and William Roth, Jr.,
(R-Del.); and Representatives Tom Bliley, Jr., (R-Va.), John Dingell (D-Mich.), Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.), Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.), Rick Lazio (R-N.Y.), Robert Matsui
(D-Calif.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.).
Laurie Flynn, executive director of NAMI, said that the 13 individuals were honored for their leadership in making the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 a reality. Ms. Flynn added, “Marriott International, the Marriott Foundation and these distinguished individuals have been driving forces in removing major employment barriers for millions of Americans with disabilities.”
Richard E. Marriott, chairman of the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities and chairman of Host Marriott Corporation, said, “For 73 years, Marriott has thrived on the premise that a skilled and committed workforce is the key to business success. In the quest for that workforce, the company has aggressively sought out a great diversity of individuals, including people with disabilities, to fill its employment needs. Further, we’ve carried that mission to more than 1,200 other employers through our ‘Bridges…from school to work’ program.”
Mr. Marriott added, “We do this not simply because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes good business sense.” He explained that the Marriott Foundation’s Bridges program fosters partnerships between public school systems and business communities to provide students with job training and work experience.
THE MARRIOTT FOUNDATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (www.marriottfoundation.org), established by the family of J. Willard Marriott in 1989, is supported in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Education (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services) and the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration).
Contact:Nick Hill
(301) 380-7484
nick.hill@marriott.com
Dee Dee Dochen
(713) 432-7575
dddochen@worldnet.att.net
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading worldwide hospitality company with over 2,000 operating units in the United States and 58 other countries and territories. Marriott Lodging operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Ramada International brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Horizons brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its ExecuStay by Marriott division; and operates conference centers. Other Marriott businesses include senior living communities and services, wholesale food distribution, procurement services, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has approximately 151,000 employees. In fiscal year 1999, Marriott International reported systemwide sales of $17.7 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit us at www.marriott.com.