Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities honors Kroger

CINCINNATI - Kroger on Thursday was named Employer of the Year by the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities at the organization's annual Bridges Gala in Washington.

The Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities fosters the employment of young people with disabilities. The Bridges from School to Work program run by the Marriott Foundation helps more than a thousand young people enter the workforce annually with steady, beneficial employment as they leave high school.

"We are honored to receive this recognition from the Marriott Foundation," stated Katy Barclay, Kroger's SVP human resources. "We have a long tradition of hiring people with disabilities, especially on our front lines serving customers. Associates we have hired through the Bridges program are consistently among our most reliable and friendly employees. Customers often select a check lane in order to be served by a youth we have hired through Bridges. We thank the Marriott Foundation for the valuable work they do to help businesses meet their workforce development needs."

The Bridges program operates in communities throughout the United States — including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Washington and parts of Maryland — where the Kroger family of stores partners to place young people with disabilities in stores.