ready willing - Darden Restaurants

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eadyandwillingto empowerThe Able TrustWith a focus on vocationalrehabilitation, The Able Trustsupports a variety of projects, includingon-the-job coaching, supportedemployment, job-skills training, jobdevelopment, employer outreach, ADAfacility compliance, skills evaluation andprograms leading to employment.For every dollar invested in vocationalrehabilitation, 13 to 26 dollars are infusedinto the economy.In 2010, Darden Restaurants was agenerous sponsor of two key leadershipdevelopmentprograms for Floridastudents with disabilities: the HighSchool/High Tech (HS/HT) programand the Youth Leadership Forum.The HS/HT program is designed toteach students how to overcome theirdisabilities, learn what they need for theircareer choices, and move on to collegeor employment. Now in its 12th year, theprogram has served nearly 2,000 studentsin 37 counties and 105 high schoolsthroughout the state, including theCentral Florida tri-county area. TheHS/HT program has significantly reducedthe drop-out rate for students withdisabilities. During the past school year,it was just 1% – far lower than any studentgroup in the state of Florida. Amongprogram participants (all grades), 169secured summer employment – and65% of those who graduated this yearwent on to post-secondary education oremployment, with the balance taking afifth year to complete school or electinga post-secondary work experience inthe form of learning internships. Thedisability diversity is extensive amongthese students: 6% have autism spectrumdisorder; 6% are hearing impaired;56% have learning, speech or languagedisabilities; 5% have orthopedic issues;1% are blind; 10% have intellectual oremotional disturbances; 6% are ADHD;and 10% have a variety of other disabilities.The Youth Leadership Forum selects highschool juniors and seniors from aroundthe state to participate in an intensefour-day leadership and educationalforum with others who have disabilities.Students learn about each other, explorecareer options and develop their ownpersonal advancement plan for the nextyear. This year, with the help of donorslike Darden, The Able Trust hosted nearly70 students at no cost to them or theirparents. Participants left the forum witha far better idea of their many optionsand a renewed belief in themselves andtheir future.Striking a BalanceMore than 80% of Florida High School/High Techprogram graduates have enrolled in post-secondaryeducation or training.1 0 / R E C I P E F O R S U C C E S S P R O G R A M S
47%of the membersof householdsserved bySecond HarvestarechildrenIt’s the ultimate paradox of an affluentsociety. Each year, some 14 billion poundsof food are sent to landfills in America.Meanwhile, nearly 37 million Americans(including 14 million children) are at risk ofhunger. Darden, like most restaurantcompanies, grappled for years with theproblem of food waste – struggling with theuncomfortable dilemma ofthrowing away food that wasperfectly good and safe toeat, yet, for a varietyof reasons, couldn’tbe sold to guests.That’s why Darden was so pleased to partnerwith the Food Donation Connection, anational network that works with restaurantsand other food service companies todistribute high-quality, prepared foods tohunger-relief organizations across the UnitedStates. A pilot program that began in 2003grew into a companywide effort the followingyear and became known as the DardenHarvest program. In fiscal 2010, Darden’s1,800 restaurants donated 8.8 million poundsof food through the Darden Harvest programto local food banks throughout the country.One of the recipient food banks is SecondHarvest Food Bank of Central Floridalocated in Orlando, Florida. Since 1983,Second Harvest has remained faithful to itsmission to fight hunger. By helping to closethe gap between the community’s needfor donated food and the amount of foodavailable, it is a mission that toucheshundreds of thousands of lives each year.Over the past 27 years, more than 243million pounds of food and grocery itemshave reached needy people in CentralFlorida through the work of the Food Bank.The Food Bank’s Food Rescue Programpartners with the Darden Harvest program.Refrigerated trucks pick up prepared fooditems from various Darden restaurants anddeliver them to non-profit agencies servingonsite meals for needy people. During theirlast fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, morethan 182,000 pounds of food were donatedto the Food Bank by Darden’s Harvestprogram. That translates to more than242,000 meals for Central Floridiansneeding their help.In addition, the Darden RestaurantsFoundation provides support for SecondHarvest’s Hi-Five Food Pack Program. TheHi-Five Food Pack Program serves chronicallyhungry children by providing them withtake home food packs. The packs containnutritious, easy-to-open, shelf-stable foodsand are distributed to children at elementaryschools. The program provides nutritiousfood for the children to eat when school isnot in session – Saturday and Sunday. Theprogram was piloted in October 2006 at twoschools and has grown to 14 schools as oflast year. During the 2008-09 academic year,25,745 nutritious Hi-Five food packs weresent home with hungry children. Theprogram name comes from the positivefeeling of giving a “high five,” as well asthe recommended “five servings a day”of fruits and vegetables. The Hi-Five FoodPack Program is reaching low-incomechildren in Central Florida in SecondHarvest’s efforts to end childhood hunger.readyandwillingto nourishSecond Harvest Food Bank of Central FloridaG O O D N E I G H B O R G R A N T S / 1 1
Page 1 and 2: to servereadyandwilling2 0 1 0
Page 3 and 4: contentsDarden Community Service Re
Page 5 and 6: To thousands of young men and women
Page 7 and 8: BGCA ishelping morethan4kids in Clu
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Page 13 and 14: eadyandwillingto inspireOrlando Bal
Page 15 and 16: Foundation Board of Trusteesreadyan
Page 17 and 18: Our Core Purpose:To nourish and del
Page 19 and 20: 2009/2010 Financial StatementsState
Page 21 and 22: 2009/2010 Financial StatementsDarde
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