Empire City employees volunteering with Feeding Westchester, Photo Credit: Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts
Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts (“Empire City”) remains dedicated to supporting New Yorkers across the Bronx and Westchester through in-kind giving, partnerships with local nonprofits and ongoing employee volunteer efforts. Empire City’s efforts focus on addressing critical needs in the community to strengthen overall well-being and create opportunities for long-term success. These include initiatives that address food insecurity, expand access to nutritious meals, support public education that fosters academic success, and workforce development offering training and resources to prepare individuals for sustainable career opportunities.
Empire City employees volunteered many hours of their time during National Volunteer Month in April, supporting a range of community initiatives. Activities include:
- Partnering with the Fuller Center to construct 9/11 Memorial benches that will serve as a lasting tribune to those who perished on September 11, 2001, ahead of the 25th anniversary.
- Assisting the Fuller Center with home renovation projects in Yonkers for local families.
- Working with Astor Services for a book reading where Empire City volunteers read to pre-kindergarten students at Little Red Schoolhouse in the Bronx.
- Joining Feeding Westchester at the Elmsford facility to sort and package food, as part of their Retail Recovery program, which rescues food that would otherwise go to waste, helping feed tens of thousands of people each month.
- Supporting Catholic Charities Community Services Archdiocese of New York, in revitalizing a local community garden, including planting, mulching and serving lunch to volunteers.
Empire City’s volunteer efforts also continue throughout the year. In May, employees joined Groundwork Hudson Valley for the Saw Mill River Cleanup to remove debris as part of sustainability efforts.
On June 18, Empire City will host the New York Blood Center’s annual community blood drive to facilitate blood donations as New York continues to face critically low blood shortages.
“Volunteerism is in the DNA of Empire City’s mission, both in New York and across MGM Resorts globally,” said Louis Theros, President and Chief Operating Officer of Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. “We encourage our employees to support the community, and we are proud to continue making a positive impact in the Bronx and Westchester. ”
Since MGM Resorts acquired Empire City in 2019, the company has expanded its culture of volunteerism, surpassing a company-wide goal of one million volunteer hours by 2025, a year ahead of schedule. Empire City employees have dedicated thousands of volunteer hours to a wide range of charitable causes throughout the last year including joining Feeding Westchester to sort produce at their food distribution centers throughout the year, assembling hundreds of summer reading and activity kits for students through United Way of Westchester and Putnam, planting with pre-kindergarten students at Queen’s Daughter Daycare, distributing food to communities in need through Catholic Charities, Feeding Westchester and Part of the Solution, and volunteering on the 9/11 Day of Service with Volunteer New York.
Empire City’s philanthropic initiatives support nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to residents in the surrounding communities where it operates and where its employees reside. To learn more, please visit Community Engagement – Empire City Casino. For more information on Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, visit www.empirecitycasino.com.