USA. Global restaurateur HMSHost has raised US$400,000 for Step Up For Students, a non-profit organisation that helps manage the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program for lower income school children in Florida.
HMSHost’s contribution will benefit children whose educational options are limited by household income. It will go towards helping underprivileged children attend a K-12 school of their parents’ choice that better fits their learning needs. Parents can choose between a scholarship towards private school tuition and fees, or one to offset the cost of transportation to an out-of-county public school.
HMSHost President and CEO Steve Johnson said: “HMSHost values education immensely, and investing in the local communities where we operate is extremely important to our company. The Step Up For Students organisation is doing important work in Florida and it is a privilege to have formed this partnership to help set up Florida youth for success.”
“Thanks to HMSHost, 66 Florida school children will have the opportunity to attend a school that fits the way they learn, regardless of where they live or their parents’ income.” – Step Up For Students President Doug Tuthill
The scholarship programme’s funding comes from tax-credited donations from corporations such as HMSHost that do business in Florida.
Step Up For Students President Doug Tuthill commented: “Thanks to HMSHost, 66 Florida school children will have the opportunity to attend a school that fits the way they learn, regardless of where they live or their parents’ income.
“On behalf of Step Up and our families, we thank HMSHost for its generosity and we are grateful they have chosen to support our mission.”
Florida enacted the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program in 2001 to expand educational opportunities for children of families with limited financial resources. Since its inception, the programme has grown exponentially and awarded more than 95,000 scholarships to economically disadvantaged students for the 2016/17 school year.
HMSHost operates restaurants in nine Florida airports and is committed to supporting state and local communities.