Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County, a United Way non-profit mentoring agency, today announced it has been selected to receive a $1,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants. The grants program, now in its third year, empowers each restaurant in the Darden family of brands to help award a $1,000 grant to support local community programs. The donation will enable Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County’s mission to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.
Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House brands participated in the program. Many restaurants and brands worked together to award one nonprofit organization with a larger grant and make a greater impact in their community. Nonprofits receiving grants support one of Darden’s three key focus areas: education, preservation of natural resources and hunger relief.
“Receiving the support from the Darden Foundation is a great honor. With this donation we will be able to continue to reach out to the children in our communities facing adversity and match them with a positive role model, who can make a difference in their lives. Friendships will be built to last a lifetime.” Jennifer Bruns, Executive Director.
“We strive to make a positive impact in all the communities our restaurants serve,” said Gene Lee, Darden’s president and chief operating officer. “Our employees are incredibly passionate about getting directly involved in their local communities, and our Restaurant Community Grants program enables each of our restaurant teams to make a difference right in their own backyard.”
For more information about the Darden Foundation, please visit www.dardenfoundation.com. For additional information on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County please visit www.bigbrobigsis-shelbydarke.org.