Darden helped send care packages to U.S. troops in Iraq

or American soldiers stationed in the desert of Iraq – including more than 140 Darden employee-reservists – basics such as having a hot shower and a clean towel are only a distant memory. One of the home comforts soldiers miss most is the ability to bathe regularly and wash away the dirt and sand. After hearing news reports that troops needed basic essentials, Howard Hohman, senior vice president of Red Lobster’s Dallas Division, led an effort to aid the soldiers that involved Red Lobster restaurants around the country.
     In just 10 days they collected and shipped enough personal hygiene items and snacks to fill 250 cases. In addition, Darden contacted the USO to offer help with care packages for the troops and sent dozens of cases of moist towelettes, the most-requested item.
     “Being deployed during war time is never easy, but your outpouring of support has greatly eased our burdens,” one soldier wrote to the Company. “As we face enemies abroad, it is always good to know we have friends at home.” For more than 30 years, Darden Restaurants has been a friend to the communities where we operate. Whether lending a helping hand in times of national crisis or doing the day-to-day work of building communities, Darden employees have always been at the front lines. It is often said that one person can make a difference, and it’s still true. But combining the hands-on efforts of our more than 140,000 employees with the financial resources of our philanthropy program enables us to multiply the efforts of both, creating a powerful engine to drive transformation in our communities.
     Back in 1968 when Bill Darden, our founder and namesake, opened the first Red Lobster in Lakeland, Florida, corporate responsibility wasn’t a term that was heard often. But even before the concept had a name or became a part of business school curricula, Bill Darden understood and lived the principles of good corporate citizenship. He didn’t spend a lot of time talking about making a difference; he just did it. Through his community activity and the way he treated his employees, suppliers and guests, he set the tone for a spirit of volunteerism, ethical business practices and philanthropy that are still defining characteristics of Darden today.
     We are committed to being an enduring and positive influence on the communities where we live and work. This year we again backed up that commitment by supporting many civic and charitable organizations, helping solve the issues our communities face. We are proud of our record as corporate citizens, as demonstrated by some of the key projects we supported in fiscal 2003:

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
We have worked hard to create an atmosphere in which all Darden employees, vendors and guests feel a sense of pride, dignity and belonging. Fostering and celebrating diversity in our business and the community is critical to our ability to excel in an increasingly diverse and dynamic marketplace.
     We have developed key partnerships and business relationships with a variety of organizations that support diversity efforts on the local and national level, including the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, Urban League, National Council of LaRaza, NAACP, the Executive Leadership Council, the National MBA Association Recruitment, INROADS, and the United Negro College Fund, to name just a few.
     Our efforts have earned numerous awards and recognition, including being named one of the “50 Best Companies for Minorities” by Fortune magazine three years in a row, and one of the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” by Diversity, Inc. magazine.