As a global sustainability leader, Host is committed to creating long-term value through investing responsibly in our business, environment, people and community. Consistent with the theme of Earth Day 2023, “Invest in Our Planet,” our Corporate Responsibility program is centered around the concept of responsible investment and Host’s Green Team members are important stewards of Host’s environmental efforts. 

Last month, our Green Team and employee volunteers partnered with FRESHFARM to build the legacy FoodPrints garden at the School Without Walls at Francis Stevens (SWWFS) in Washington, D.C.  

FRESHFARM is a local nonprofit that works to create a more resilient, equitable and sustainable food future by solving critical problems across our regional food system and connecting people to their food through education, farmers markets and food access and distribution programs. Their innovative FoodPrints program integrates gardening, cooking and nutrition education into the D.C. public elementary school curriculum through hands-on lessons taught by expert educators that get students excited about growing, preparing and enjoying fresh, local whole foods with the goal of improving health and academic outcomes of children and families. 

Volunteers got their hands dirty by helping to mulch garden paths, build pollinator gardens and install trellises at SWWFS’ temporary location in D.C. Students in pre-K to 8th grade will utilize this space multiple times a week for FoodPrints classes over the next two years while their school is being renovated. After that, the fully operational vegetable and pollinator gardens will transition to the next school group to occupy the temporary space. 

“I can't believe how much this group got done in just a couple of hours—woodchipping garden paths, loosening soil for in-ground beds, planting pollinator plants, and even mulching around the tree bases when we saw we had additional woodchips,” said Ibti Vincent, FoodPrints Lead Teacher, Service Learning Manager, and SWWFS Garden Manager. “I hope this legacy garden will flourish for Francis Stevens' students and the greater Shaw community for many years.” 

Additionally, in honor of Earth Day 2023, our Green Team organized two events for all employees—an electronics recycling and document clean-out event in April and the team’s annual “make your own garden” event planned for May, where employees gather together to build their own personal gardens with a variety of flowers, herbs and vegetables.   

 

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT INVEST IN OUR PLANET 

In addition to volunteering and making a monetary donation to FRESHFARM, Host has partnerships with several organizations within our local community, where our hotels are located and nationally that are focused on critical environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity and conservation—including Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Hui O Ka Wai Ola (Association Of The Living Waters), National Resources Defense Council, World Resources Institute and World Wildlife Fund. In honor of Earth Day and as part of our continued support of these organizations and their work, Host has made a donation to each organization to help further their investments in our community and planet. 

Learn more about Host’s Corporate Responsibility program, including our commitment to creating value through responsible investment and environmental stewardship.