WASHINGTON (Oct. 22, 2024) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the largest hotel
association in the United States, and Procure Impact, a first-of-its kind B2B marketplace for products that
support overlooked communities, announced a major milestone in the implementation of their Dignity of
Work Pledge.
Twenty-three hospitality companies have pledged over $7.4 million in purchases to reach the Dignity of Work
Pledge goal of 100,000 hours of paid employment for people who face barriers to work. By choosing to
source responsibly through Procure Impact, the companies will provide millions in revenue for businesses
employing vulnerable and marginalized populations.
Procure Impact’s B2B marketplace serves as a catalyst for social change, connecting businesses with
thousands of hand-crafted and high-quality products manufactured exclusively by vendors that employ
overlooked populations in the U.S., including people with disabilities, refugees, veterans, and those who have
experienced poverty, mental health challenges, homelessness, trauma, incarceration, and addiction.
Procure Impact works with over 100 suppliers in the United States across high-demand categories such as
food and beverage, bath and body, retail, furniture, art and more. One supplier, Cameron’s Coffee &
Chocolates in Fairfax, Va., employs 30 people with disabilities and is now in 90 hotels due to demand from
the Procure Impact platform.
Procure Impact tracks the impact of each transaction made on its platform by calculating the number of shift
hours created, distributing monthly impact reports so companies can report on their goals and measure their
progress.
Dignity of Work Pledge founding partners include Atrium Hospitality, CoralTree Hospitality, Davidson
Hospitality Group, Modus Hotels, Pacific Hospitality Group, Pyramid Global Hospitality, Sage Hospitality
Group, and 21c Museum Hotels. Several other hospitality companies have since joined the campaign,
including Concord Hospitality, Donohoe Hospitality, HEI Hotels & Resorts, Highgate, Host Hotels & Resorts,
Hotel Equities, Makeready, McKibbon Hospitality, New Waterloo, Peachtree Group, PM Hotel Group, Practice
Hospitality, Soul Community Planet, Springboard Hospitality, Staypineapple, and Western States Lodging
Management and Development.
Participating companies manage over 1,800 hotels nationwide. By taking the Dignity of Work Pledge,
hospitality companies committed to increasing the percentage of their purchases made with vendors on
Procure Impact's platform and to regularly report their progress, which is shared on AHLA’s Responsible Stay
website.
AHLA’s Responsible Stay initiative unites members behind core sustainability principles, including responsible
sourcing, energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction.
“As part of our Responsible Stay initiative, we at AHLA are delighted to have helped these amazing hospitality
companies take care of guests and uplift the communities they serve while achieving responsible sourcing
and community impact goals. The strong participation we’ve seen in the Dignity of Work Pledge is a credit to
the hospitality industry and the compassionate people who power it,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO
Kevin Carey.
"Hitting this milestone for the Dignity of Work Pledge is an incredible example of how the hospitality sector is
pioneering new ways to connect, inspire, and elevate purpose through every stay," said Jen Collins, Co-
Founder & President of Procure Impact. “Each purchase on our platform creates economic opportunity for
people with barriers to work – people who are ready and able to produce high quality products that show
what they are truly capable of.”
“This summer, we added three more jobs to keep up with demand from the purchases on the Procure Impact
marketplace due to this campaign. That is three more people with disabilities who are no longer on a wait list
hoping to get the next job at Cameron’s. The more demand for our products, the more people we can hire
and provide them with a supportive inclusive work environment that challenges them and helps them
become more economically independent,” said Ellen Graham Co-Founder of Every1 Can Work and
Cameron’s Coffee and Chocolates.
“With responsible sourcing, companies wield immense power for social change. The hospitality sector is
sparking a movement and demonstrating what is possible for all companies. We invite all corporations
committed to responsible sourcing to join the Dignity of Work Pledge as we announce a new ambitious but
achievable goal – creating 1,000,000 hours of work across all industries by 2030,” said Lauren McCann, Co-
Founder & CEO of Procure Impact. “We will continue to raise the bar for corporate America, and we are
excited to support companies in turning positive intentions into tangible actions.”
Through this expanded and ambitious goal, Procure Impact will actively work to recruit and secure
partnerships with corporate leaders from all industries who want to lead the social procurement movement
and build upon the momentum created by the hospitality sector.
To learn more about Procure Impact visit procureimpact.us
About AHLA
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in America, representing
more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide – including iconic global brands,
80% of all franchised hotels, and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington,
D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to
move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com.
