Helping in Times of Need
Helping in Times of Need
Whether it is our support of the American Red Cross or our Darden Dimes team member emergency assistance fund, responding when it is needed most is another way we serve our communities.
American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program
We are a proud member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, which equips the Red Cross with the support they need to immediately respond to individuals and families impacted by disasters anywhere in the United States. This includes basic needs like warm meals, shelter, relief supplies and emotional support as they recover from unforeseen challenges.
The American Red Cross name and logo are used with its permission with no express or implied endorsement.
Darden Dimes
Our Darden Dimes emergency assistance fund represents the very best about our culture — team members helping one another in times of need. Since its inception in 1999, this program has played a critical role in providing relief for our team members when disaster strikes. It is also our signature employee giving program and enables team members across our family of restaurants, and at the Restaurant Support Center, to support their fellow co-workers during tough times. Participants can make one-time donations or ongoing contributions of as little as a dime at a time, and while that may seem like small change, these donations make a significant difference thanks to the scale of our team.
More than $38 million donated by team members through Darden Dimes
More than 83,000 grants provided to team members in need of emergency assistance
Darden Dimes is a warm fuzzy that Darden provides to give team members peace of mind that if something terrible happens, Darden is going to be there for you. Not many companies can say that.
Restaurants Give Back
Our restaurants are proud to give back, and they are quick to take action to support their communities when it is needed. This comes to life in a variety of ways — providing meals to first responders, making donations to local organizations, volunteering and lending assistance to victims of natural disasters.
The Darden Foundation introduced the Next Course Scholarship program in 2023 to support our team members’ families by helping their children achieve their educational goals. As a result, nearly 100 children or dependents of Darden team members were awarded post-secondary scholarships worth $3,000 each. These team members represent more than 80 different restaurants across seven of our brands and 32 states. 
Most recently, the Darden Foundation committed $1.5 million to support construction of the new Bradley-Otis Boys & Girls Family Club, named after former Darden CEO Clarence Otis and his wife Jacqueline Bradley, and to the expansion of the Joe R. Lee Club, named for Darden’s first Chairman and CEO Joe Lee. The Bradley-Otis Boys & Girls Club is the largest branch in Central Florida — a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility serving more than 250 children each day.
program, a national high school program that introduces students to career opportunities in the restaurant industry and provides them with an industry-driven curriculum on topics ranging from culinary techniques to management skills. Our annual contribution of $250,000 also supports the Restaurant Ready program to engage and encourage disconnected young people to pursue a path to employment and improve their quality of life.
Using a risk-based approach, we focus on ensuring food safety and food quality standards are upheld at every step of our supply chain. We conduct thorough supplier and product evaluations and only purchase products that meet or exceed our quality specifications. We also follow the comprehensive Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety programs adopted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These programs focus on preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses, and we implement measures at every touchpoint from farm to fork to protect against potential risk to our guests and team members.
As climate impacts create changing weather patterns, we must be ready when our restaurants are projected to experience severe storms. The safety of our team members and guests is our top priority, and that is why we have a dedicated team to help restaurants prepare for severe weather and reopen safely once it passes. This cross-functional Task Force works with a weather intelligence firm to forecast storm activity and model data to predict their impact on our restaurants.
We recognize that where our ingredients come from and how they are grown are integral to preparing great food for our guests.
Within Central Florida, we recognize that for far too many families, the cost of living exceeds what they are able to earn. Nearly half of households struggle to afford their basic needs like housing, food and healthcare.
Built in 2009, our headquarters serves as a testament to our commitment to sustainability. The structure houses our Restaurant Support Center team and was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification for New Construction.