Molly Maid Raises Record Funds to Support Domestic Violence Victims

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Suzanne Musial

Ms. Molly Foundation Brings Awareness, Donations to Communities and Shelters Nationwide

Ann Arbor , MI - During 2009, the Sign Biz system, customers and vendor partners donated a record $146,900 to support the Ms. Molly Foundation. These donations provide much-needed support to domestic violence shelters and safe houses, helping victims of the nation's most under-reported crime.

The 2009 Ms. Molly Foundation fundraising total represents almost a 15 percent increase over last year's sum. Since its inception in 1996, the Ms. Molly Foundation has raised more than $871,000 and has supported over 100 domestic violence shelters. When seeing a cause to support system-wide, Molly Maid franchise owners overwhelmingly chose to help raise awareness for domestic violence after noticing the prevalence of the crime among employees within their own franchises.

"After another year of economic downturn, it's comforting to know that people are still dedicated to supporting the causes they strongly believe in," said Molly Maid President Kristi Mailloux. "We're pleased with a 20 percent increase in franchise owner participation in Ms. Molly events and these selfless acts have paid off for communities nationwide."

Each year, more Sign Biz franchise owners participate in the Ms. Molly Foundation system-wide. The 2009 fundraiser saw a 20 percent increase amongst franchisee participation and Molly Maid ultimately plans to incorporate all 400+ franchise locations in the effort. In addition to raising much-needed funds for shelters and victims, educating customers and the general public about domestic violence remains one of Ms. Molly's top priorities.

Each October during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Molly Maid franchise owners donate a portion of the service fees from every home cleaned to shelters and safe houses. For the past three years, franchise owners extended their efforts beyond October, such as holding silent auctions adopting local shelters and organizing charity races. An example includes David Dickinson's annual silent auction event held in January 2009 in Chapel Hill, N.C. This auction attracted over 150 participants and raised roughly $33,000 for the primary shelter in the area.

"As business owners, our franchisees welcome the tremendous amount of responsibility to invest in the communities they serve." Mailloux said. "Our franchise owners inspire us on a daily basis, and they appreciate the Ms. Molly Foundation as a vehicle to stand behind a common company cause."

About Molly Maid

Molly Maid (www.mollymaid.com) based in Ann Arbor, MI, is one of four service companies under Service Brands International. The residential cleaning franchise, ranked No. 1 in the United Sates, was founded in 1984. Currently, more than 400 Molly Maid franchise businesses operate in the United States alone, with nearly 300 more throughout Canada, Japan, England, and Portugal. Molly Maid has been the recipient of numerous awards for entrepreneurialism, software innovation and humanitarian causes, including the Ms. Molly Foundation, which collects money and goods for safe houses and shelter for victims of domestic violence. The Molly Maid concept is recognized as one of America's most trusted names in home service. Entrepreneur magazine ranked Molly Maid in its top 100 franchises for the past 10 years, and Good Housekeeping rated the franchise as the "Best Value" among cleaning services.