WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Procure Impact announced a milestone in the implementation of their Dignity of Work Pledge. Twenty-three hospitality companies have pledged over $7.4 million in purchases to reach the Dignity of Work Pledge goal of 100,000 hours of paid employment for people who face barriers to work. By choosing to source through Procure Impact, the companies will provide millions in revenue for businesses employing vulnerable and marginalized populations.
Procure Impact’s B2B marketplace catalyzes social change, connecting businesses with products manufactured by vendors that employ overlooked populations in the United States, including people with disabilities, refugees, veterans, and those who have experienced poverty, mental health challenges, homelessness, trauma, incarceration, and addiction.
Procure Impact works with over 100 suppliers in the United States across high-demand categories such as food and beverage, bath and body, retail, furniture, art, and more. One supplier, Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates in Fairfax, Virginia, employs 30 people with disabilities and is now in 90 hotels due to demand from the Procure Impact platform.
Procure Impact tracks the impact of each transaction made on its platform by calculating the number of shift hours created and distributing monthly impact reports so companies can report on their goals and measure their progress.
Dignity of Work Pledge founding partners include Atrium Hospitality, CoralTree Hospitality, Davidson Hospitality Group, Modus Hotels/PM Group, Pacific Hospitality Group, Pyramid Global Hospitality, Sage Hospitality Group, and 21c Museum Hotels. Several other hospitality companies have since joined the campaign, including Concord Hospitality, Donohoe Hospitality, HEI Hotels & Resorts, Highgate, Host Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Equities, Makeready, McKibbon Hospitality, New Waterloo, Peachtree Group, PM Hotel Group, Practice Hospitality, Soul Community Planet, Springboard Hospitality, Staypineapple, and Western States Lodging & Management.
Participating companies manage over 1,800 hotels nationwide. By taking the Dignity of Work Pledge, hospitality companies committed to increasing the percentage of their purchases made with vendors on Procure Impact’s platform and to regularly report their progress, which is shared on AHLA’s Responsible Stay website.
AHLA’s Responsible Stay initiative unites members behind sustainability principles, including responsible sourcing, energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction.
“As part of our Responsible Stay initiative, we at AHLA are delighted to have helped these amazing hospitality companies take care of guests and uplift the communities they serve while achieving responsible sourcing and community impact goals. The strong participation we’ve seen in the Dignity of Work Pledge is a credit to the hospitality industry and the compassionate people who power it,” said AHLA Interim President and CEO Kevin Carey.
“Hitting this milestone for the Dignity of Work Pledge is an incredible example of how the hospitality sector is pioneering new ways to connect, inspire, and elevate purpose through every stay,” said Jen Collins, co-founder and president of Procure Impact. “Each purchase on our platform creates economic opportunity for people with barriers to work – people who are ready and able to produce high-quality products that show what they are truly capable of.”
“This summer, we added three more jobs to keep up with demand from the purchases on the Procure Impact marketplace due to this campaign. That is three more people with disabilities who are no longer on a wait list hoping to get the next job at Cameron’s. The more demand for our products, the more people we can hire and provide them with a supportive inclusive work environment that challenges them and helps them become more economically independent,” said Ellen Graham, co-founder of Every1 Can Work and Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates.
“With responsible sourcing, companies wield immense power for social change. The hospitality sector is sparking a movement and demonstrating what is possible for all companies. We invite all corporations committed to responsible sourcing to join the Dignity of Work Pledge as we announce a new ambitious but achievable goal—creating 1,000,000 hours of work across all industries by 2030,” said Lauren McCann, co-founder and CEO of Procure Impact. “We will continue to raise the bar for corporate America, and we are excited to support companies in turning positive intentions into tangible actions.”
Through this expanded goal, Procure Impact will work to recruit and secure partnerships with corporate leaders from all industries who want to lead the social procurement movement and build upon the momentum created by the hospitality sector.
