ROCKVILLE, MD.—Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, is once again joining forces with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to create strong, stable and secure military families. Building on the company’s ongoing support since the partnership began in 2018, Choice Hotels expects to raise over $100,000 and will donate 500 room nights to assist military families by year-end. As part of this year’s donation efforts, the company is holding a “Season of Giving” holiday drive, where members of its award-winning loyalty program, Choice Privileges, can redeem their points to help servicemembers, and Choice will make a matching donation up to $50,000.
“It’s no secret that this has been a challenging year for many around the world, but especially so for service members and their families. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we supported Operation Homefront families by donating Choice Privileges points towards hotel rooms to help those displaced—an effort that was amplified by our incredibly generous loyalty members,” said Patrick Pacious, President and CEO, Choice Hotels. “We’re doubling down now on the opportunity for Choice Privileges members to redeem their points to benefit this worthy cause by committing to match their efforts with our own $50,000 donation, which will help reunite service members with their loved ones.”
The partnership between Choice Hotels and Operation Homefront allows the leading nonprofit to continue supporting the critical financial needs of military families, including rent payments, car and home repairs, food, utility bills, grocery assistance and more. Since the beginning of the partnership, over 28 million Choice Privileges points have been donated to Operation Homefront—nearly 3,000 room nights.
Pledge Made in 2018
In 2018, Choice pledged 2,000 room nights to help veterans and active-duty service members connect with their families and friends throughout the year.
Last year, Choice and Operation Homefront launched the “Choice Salutes” campaign for Veterans Day weekend, where a portion of proceeds from hotel reservations were donated to military families. Residents of Operation Homefront’s Transitional Housing Village in Gaithersburg, Md. were surprised with a trip to visit their families for the holidays.
“Since the beginning of the partnership, more than 600 bicycles have been donated to Operation Homefront as part of an annual company holiday tradition, where Choice Hotels employees collect and assemble bicycles for Operation Homefront families.
To further express its appreciation for those who serve, Choice Hotels offers military benefits and features under the Choice Privileges program, including:
Upgraded Membership: Immediately upon registration, active duty or reserve military members and retired military, National Guard, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel will earn Lifetime Gold Elite status, which entitles members to 10 percent extra points on every stay and an Elite Welcome Gift upon check-in at Choice-branded hotels.
2,500 Choice Privileges Points: As an extra thank you, new and existing Choice Privileges members will earn 2,500 points on their next stay after completing the military registration form.
Operation Homefront has fulfilled nearly 44,000 requests for assistance since 2011, providing military families with more than $28 million in critical financial support.
“Many families across America are struggling to make ends meet and sadly, our military families have been especially hard hit and the need for our highly-valued programs is more important now than ever. As we face a surge in requests for assistance, we are thrilled to have Choice Hotels, and their Choice Privileges members, join us as we work to help this very deserving group of fellow citizens overcome their financial hardships,” said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., President and CEO, Operation Homefront. “We need to be there for them in their time of need for all they have done, and continue to do, for all of us in our nation’s time of need.”
Choice Hotels has a long history of enhancing the diversity of its ownership base through a one-of-a-kind emerging markets development team, which helps underrepresented individuals, including veterans, enter the rewarding business of hotel franchising. As a result of Choice Hotels’ commitment to creating a bright future for veterans, the company was recently named by Forbes as a Best Employer for Veterans. To learn more about Choice Hotels and Operation Homefront, visit ChoiceHotels.com/OperationHomefront.
It says the hotels also offers military offers.