The Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc., a workforce development organization dedicated to helping low income people gain skills to enhance their job prospects, was recently selected by the American Society of Landscape Architects as a beneficiary to receive furniture totaling $25,000 from DuMor, Inc., a leading manufacturer of site furniture.

Each year ASLA selects a nonprofit from the city that hosted their annual convention to be gifted a "design project." The association says that the Philadelphia OIC was chosen in part because of their longstanding partnership with the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, the managers of the site for the annual meeting. Together, the two local organizations train over 200 impoverished residents of the city each year for opportunities to work in hospitality, environmental services and culinary arts at Philadelphia hotels and restaurants.

"Philadelphia OIC is honored to be selected to receive this donation from The American Society of Landscape Architects and DuMor, Inc.," said Aisha Dennis, executive director of the Workforce Academy. "The furniture has allowed us to create spaces that are vibrant, collaborative and inviting, which aligns greatly with our desires for the aesthetic we want to provide for our students."

"It was very important to the DuMor family that products were installed in a permanent place," said Victoria McCallum, marketing coordinator of the furniture manufacturer. As a personal mission, and after much communication with ASLA and PCCA's guest experience director Dominique Bonds, it was agreed that Philadelphia OIC was the right choice to receive the products.