On October 16, 2008, more than 125 ARAMARK employee volunteers from Seattle and the greater Pacific Northwest participated in a day of service refurbishing Atlantic Street Center’s Rainier Beach Family Center. As part of the community service day, ARAMARK volunteers created a new family reading and resource room by painting walls and inspirational murals, and also built storage units, display boards and book shelves. Volunteers also hosted a children’s book drive to fill the new room with books and resource materials.

In addition to creating the community resource room, ARAMARK volunteers, in partnership with City Year Seattle, a group dedicated to engaging young people in full-time community service, participated in a variety of hands-on enhancement projects around the Rainier Beach Family Center including building new bookcases for the kids’ room and storage spaces for the teens’ room, creating vibrant murals throughout the Center, painting hallways and rooms, and landscaping outside.

“This partnership with ARAMARK is wonderful for us because it allows us to concentrate our resources where they are most needed--our programming,” said Edith C. Elion, executive director of Atlantic Street Center. “Their support will help us to make a lasting impact on the lives of the children and families we serve.”

Added Bruce Fears, President of ARAMARK Parks and Destinations and sponsor of ARAMARK Building Community, “At ARAMARK, we have a legacy of putting community needs first. Our corporate resources, combined with our passion for volunteerism, allow us to positively impact social issues in a powerful way, and in a manner that is truly relevant to our business strengths, culture and the community. It’s about linking our expertise, resources and time to help the communities in which we live and work.”

Atlantic Street Center extends its sincerest thanks to ARAMARK for their tremendous support! Please stop by and visit the Rainier Beach Family Center, located at 8825 Rainier Avenue South, and see the beautiful refurbished space!