DoubleTree Hilton hosts lunch with JARO staff

As part of Hilton Worldwide’s annual Global Month of Service, DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Baru (DTHJB) recognised the efforts of Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation (JARO) by hosting lunch with their staff recently.

DoubleTree by Hilton JB team members with friends
from JARO in the hotel lobby 

After DTHJB General Manager, Simon McGrath, welcomed them to the hotel, the JARO staff helped themselves to a sumptuous spread from the lunch buffet at the Makan Kitchen.

Seventeen GMs from Hilton and Conrad properties in South East Asia who were in JB for their General Managers Leadership Meeting last October, participated in a Corporate Social Responsibility activity by giving a section of the JARO building a new coat of paint.

This kicked off the hotel’s relationship with JARO, a registered charity where disabled staff are employed in the bookbinding, basketry, tailoring and handicraft departments of their sheltered workshop.

Pat McGrath arranging JARO handicrafts displayed in
the Food Store while JARO representative, Letchumy
Supramaniam, looks on

The hotel continues to support JARO by providing a space in the Food Store at the lobby to display a range of their quality handicrafts for sale.

“Some of the most popular JARO products among our guests are the recycled paper notebooks with fabric covers,” said the hotel General Manager's wife, Pat McGrath, who is also a JARO volunteer.

“We are honoured that DoubleTree by Hilton JB recognises the efforts of JARO and supports us in the promotion our products,” said Jaro Finance & Admin Executive, Lee Lai Ying, who was at the lunch with some 50 JARO staff.

Noraini Goh Abdullah [Left] and Noraizah Mokhtar
enjoying the sumptuous lunch at Makan Kitchen

Speaking through a sign language translator, two staff members from the JARO tailoring department, Noraizah Mokhtar and Noraini Goh Abdullah, were all smiles as they expressed their delight at the wide variety of good food in the buffet spread.

The Global Month of Service is Hilton Worldwide’s annual celebration of volunteer service and a true expression of the company’s vision to “Fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.”

This year, DTHJB joins the hotel group’s sister properties in 97 countries worldwide with ten initiatives to benefit the local community in JB.

They include Recycling & Repurposing Hotel Amenities, Career Talks, City Clean-Up, Children’s Day Outing, Hotel Tour, Cookie Baking Workshop, Hotel Housekeeping Workshop, Teaching Kids to Care Craft Session and a Book Donation Drive.

A version of this was published in The Malaysian Insider on 14 Oct 2015