As the adage goes, “There’s strength in numbers.” But what’s the magic number? In the case of a pop-up Rescue Kitchen in Thailand – jointly organized by local hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio and Scholars of Sustenance (SOS), a food rescue charity in Asia – the “X” in this volunteering equation is 40.

United by a shared purpose, over 40 associates, including general managers and chefs across 11 properties in Phuket and Phang Nga teamed up for the third Rescue Kitchen to feed the hungry. The event served over 13,700 warm and nutritious meals to community members in Patong and Ko Kaew.

One prong of the initiative was sustenance. The other was sustainability. To reduce food waste, the meals were prepared with surplus ingredients from the hotels, which were combined with fresh local ingredients. To minimize single-use plastic, community members were encouraged to bring their own reusable containers.

Participating properties included the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa; JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa; The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket; Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort; Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach; Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach; The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket; Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort; Courtyard Phuket Town; JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa and Le Méridien Khao Lak Beach Resort & Spa.

Their efforts are an example of Marriott International’s commitment to Nurture Our World and Sustain Responsible Operations, an integral part of Serve 360, the company’s sustainability and social impact platform.