Aramark Building Community Day, celebrating its 10th year, brought nearly 100 employees to the Buckner Children and Family Services campus in Dallas to serve. On Thursday, Aramark employees spent the day beautifying the Dallas campus by painting, gardening and more.
 
“This gives us a way to make deep connections and give back to the community,” said Abigail Charpentier, chief human resources officer for Aramark. “It’s incredibly energizing for our team to take part in a day like today.”
 
Their efforts included preparing apartments to be move-in ready for future single parents and their families joining the Buckner Family Pathways® program. Creating a safe, beautiful space for these parents to move into provides extra support as they pursue their educational goals while transforming their family’s lives.
 
The relationship between Aramark and Buckner is special. Aramark employees work with Buckner throughout the year and have fostered a community collaboration that reflects their company’s values.

“Aramark has an attitude for service and is about building healthier communities,” shared Lindsay Miller, director of operations and administration for Buckner Dallas programs. “Throughout the year, Aramark is bringing chefs and dietitians our way, and they’re bringing education to our families, while we’re providing holistic support to help that family reach their goals.”
 
While Buckner supports families in their therapeutic and holistic goals, Aramark provides perspective and actionable items to support their physical health too. With the help of the Aramark volunteers, the Dallas campus continues to offer families a beautiful place to learn, grow and enjoy life together.

143 years ago, Father Buckner may have received pigs, chickens and bags of flour to support the Buckner mission. Today, what people send might look different, but it's a trend over the Buckner history that the communities in Texas, contributing their talents and treasures, has been a constant encouragement to our ministry and a major contributor to the amount of lives transformed.

"Although I have only been at Buckner 11 out of the past 143 years, I know firsthand that collaborators like Aramark who invest their time and resources int the Buckner mission is one of the reasons we can continue to meet the needs of vulnerable children and families across Texas and internationally," Miller continued.