ATLANTA, Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the
coronavirus was declared a global pandemic early in 2020, we've
relied on doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks, nonprofit workers
and other essential workers more than ever. They've kept our
communities healthy, fed, sheltered and safe while having to take
additional precautions to look after their own wellbeing. As a
company committed to True Hospitality, IHG® Hotels &
Resorts has spent the last few months recognizing and celebrating
these people to say "Thank You" for their work.
Catherine Dolton, Vice
President, Corporate Responsibility, IHG Hotels & Resorts,
said: "We issued a call for nominations of workers who went
above and beyond to support their communities, vulnerable
populations and colleagues, and the response we received was
overwhelming. We're honored to recognize these workers and thank
them by providing complimentary stays at our hotels and exclusive
experiences, as well as IHG® Rewards Club points to use
toward future stays for the rest, relaxation and recovery they so
richly deserve."
To bring one of the experiences to life, IHG partnered with
Mastercard to provide a "Priceless Experience at Home" with Chef JJ
Johnson, Mastercard ambassador and James
Beard-winning founder of the acclaimed FIELDTRIP restaurant
in Harlem. Chef JJ led an
exclusive virtual cooking class for healthcare professionals and
workers from nonprofits, such as St. Mungo's, Barnardo's and
Good360, in which participants created one of his signature dishes.
Throughout the pandemic, Chef JJ Johnson donated rice bowls to
New York City hospital workers and
forged relationships with nonprofit organizations to develop
programs like FIELDTRIP's Buy-a-bowl initiative, which served over
100,000 meals.
Chef JJ Johnson, founder, FIELDTRIP, commented: "It was a
treat to be able to lead the class on behalf of Mastercard for
these people who have sacrificed so much of their personal lives
over the past few months. To me, cooking is all about community,
and the essential workers I met during the class have inspired me
with their stories of coming together to help their communities get
through these tough times."
Over recent months, we've also uncovered incredible stories
across the globe of people who have given back to their
communities, and we've sought to recognize them with relaxing stays
at our hotels.
- After 12 weeks apart, IHG helped one couple "redo" their
26th wedding anniversary – At the start of the pandemic,
residential home healthcare provider Tina
Brook and her colleagues decided the best way to protect
their elderly patients would be to quarantine at their facility.
They spent 12 weeks away from their families, and Tina missed her
26th wedding anniversary with her husband as a result. To recognize
Tina for her selfless actions, IHG surprised the couple with a
makeup anniversary trip to Hotel Indigo Stratford-Upon-Avon, where
they spent time exploring the historic town and relaxing at the
hotel, which sits across the street from William Shakespeare's last home.
- Nonprofit quickly shifts to virtual learning to support
children's literacy in Jordan
– As a research and program development specialist for the Queen
Rania Foundation for Education and Development, Yasmeen Al Zabalawy had been working tirelessly
on a new reading application when the pandemic hit. With the shift
to virtual learning, Yasmeen and her team launched the app
"Alphabet Journey" three months ahead of schedule to support
children in the community. The app was an immediate hit, with
250,000 downloads. After several months of working around the
clock, Yasmeen will take some time for a much-needed staycation at
an IHG branded hotel.
- A neonatal ICU nurse takes her first time off work in
months – Michelle Horsey has
worked in the neonatal intensive care unit of her local hospital
for three years, but never has she faced a challenge like caring
for her babies during a pandemic. Dealing with a debilitating
injury herself, Michelle has spent countless hours meticulously
suiting up in her PPE to best protect her fragile patients, working
extra hours and spending long periods of time away from her
husband, Shawn. The couple will spend a few days at Holiday Inn
West Yellowstone, exploring the national park.
- OzHarvest combats wildfires and COVID-19 for families in
need – It's been a tumultuous year in Australia, particularly for vulnerable
populations that found themselves more food insecure than ever
before. As Head of Impact for the nonprofit OzHarvest, which
diverts more than 250 tons of high-quality food each week from
landfills to people in need, Ashley
Killeen had to identify new ways to fundraise when their
traditional methods were disrupted due to the pandemic. Together
with the OzHarvest Impact team, Ashley created a virtual fundraiser
that brought in the nonprofit's highest levels of donations ever.
After 10 months of working nonstop, Ashley is looking forward to a
weekend away with her daughter at one of IHG's properties in
Australia.
- Goodwill team member takes on a new job to feed his
community – Jeffery Bowman,
facilities manager for Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana in New Orleans, took on a completely new role
when the pandemic hit. He's been instrumental in organizing a
weekly drive-through food bank, arriving at his facility at
5:30 a.m. every Wednesday for seven
months to unload food delivery trucks, package food boxes, direct
volunteers and feed thousands of families in New Orleans. Jeffery, his wife and their two
children will enjoy a family vacation for the first time this year
at an IHG hotel.
These stories represent only a small number of the essential
workers IHG has had the opportunity to recognize and an even
smaller fraction of the countless people who have stepped up to
support their communities through this crisis. Through our True
Hospitality for Good program, IHG has also worked with governments,
organizations and hotel owners to help provide accommodation to
those who need it, including healthcare workers, delivery drivers
and the homeless, as well as supported food bank and food provision
charities, among other community support initiatives during the
pandemic.
IHG Rewards Club members who are looking to make a difference in
their communities can donate their points to several charity
partners, including CARE International UK, American Red Cross,
Goodwill Industries International and the National Center for Civil
and Human Rights. For more information, visit
ihgrewardsclub.com.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About IHG®
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG,
NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of
hotel brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent
Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental® Hotels &
Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel
Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE®
Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts,
voco™, Holiday Inn® Hotels &
Resorts , Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday
Inn Club Vacations®, avid™ hotels, Staybridge
Suites®, Atwell Suites™, and Candlewood
Suites®.
IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,900 hotels
and approximately 883,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries,
with over 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also
manages IHG® Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme,
which has more than 100 million enrolled members.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding
company and is incorporated in Great
Britain and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 400,000 people work
across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.
Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations
and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For
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About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments
industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital
economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions
safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks,
partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help
individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses
realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ,
drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our
company. With connections across more than 210 countries and
territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks
priceless possibilities for all.
www.mastercard.com
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SOURCE IHG Hotels & Resorts