NOD News
National Organization on Disability Salutes Sodexo
Company honored in “NOD Salutes” series for National Disability Employment Awareness Month
New York, NY, October 22, 2012 – This October, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) salutes Sodexo, the leading provider of quality of daily life services in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, for its support of disability employment initiatives.
This is the inaugural salute in a monthly series highlightingemployers who supports NOD’s mission by hiring people with disabilities. The recognition of Sodexo’s work with the Bridges to Business program, and as a member of the NOD CEO Council,comes during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a national campaign to raise awareness about disability employment issues and celebrate the contributions of America's workers with disabilities.
“When I first heard about NOD’s Bridges to Business program, I immediately knew it was an initiative that Sodexo should be involved in,” said Lourdes Diaz, Vice President of Diversity Relations at Sodexo. “As a leader in providing quality of life services and one of the largest employers in the world, we are very committed to identifying, supporting and developing new talent. People with disabilitiesare an untapped talent resource, and Bridges to Business has connected us with an amazing pool of employees that we wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.”
Sodexo is part of a New Jersey employer consortium that has identified 15 sites across the state to recruit candidates with disabilities. NOD is also assisting Sodexo with candidates for offices in Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania.
“In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, it is my pleasure to applaud Sodexo for what they do,” said Carol Glazer, president of NOD. “A longstanding member of NOD’s CEO Council of corporate champions, Sodexo has once again reiterated its commitment to employment opportunities for those with disabilities, and we’re honored to have them as one of our corporate partners.”
“Sodexo’s partnership with NOD’s Bridges to Business program is a win-win for people with disabilities and our business,” said Dr. Rohini Anand, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Diversity Officer at Sodexo and NOD board member. “The program has enabled us to effectively recruit, hire, train, and retain job-seekers with disabilities, which is invaluable to our company and ultimately makes Sodexo a stronger, more successful business.”
“Sodexo is well-deserving of this inaugural salute in our series,” said Glazer. “We’re inspired by their commitment to the Bridges to Business program, and we look forward to our continued partnership.”
About Sodexo, World Leader in Quality of Life Services
Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as a partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo's 413,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of Quality of Life Services. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates. In North America, Sodexo provides On-site Service Solutions to Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.sodexofoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $17 million in grants to end childhood hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog
About NOD
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a private, non-profit organization that promotes the full participation of America’s 56million people with disabilities in all aspects of life. The organization's current focus is on increasing employment opportunities for the 79 percent of working-age Americans with disabilities who are not employed. Current employment programs benefit individuals with disabilities looking for employment, high school students with disabilities transitioning into the workforce, seriously wounded, ill and injured veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and employers seeking to become more diverse by expanding existing diversity initiatives to include people with disabilities. For more information about NOD, its CEO Council, and employment programs, visit www.NOD.org.
