Molly Maid Franchise Owners Reach the $1 Million Mark in Support of Domestic Violence Awareness

Online, January 3, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Molly Maid franchise owners nationwide raised a record $221,000 this year to support shelters and safe houses in communities across the country. The Ms. Molly Foundation, Molly Maid's non-profit arm, was established to empower communities to stop the cycle of domestic violence, raise funds to support this effort, gather personal items to donate and provide refuge for victims.

Since its inception in 1996, the Ms. Molly Foundation has raised more than $1 million and has supported more than 120 domestic violence shelters across the nation. The fundraising total for 2011 represents a 32 percent increase over last year.

Domestic violence is an issue that hits close to home with Molly Maid franchise owners who noticed the crime throughout their communities and even among their employees. When seeking a cause to support system-wide, the company overwhelmingly chose to help increase awareness and benefit local victims of domestic violence through the Ms. Molly Foundation.

"It is a privilege for Molly Maid to have this opportunity to support our local communities," said Ms. Molly Foundation co-chair Danessa Itaya. "It's amazing to see the amount of support from our franchise owners, even during these tough economic times. Last year we set a goal to significantly increase participation in the drive, and we are pleased to see how many stepped up to the plate in 2011, making this our most successful year."

Molly Maid has set a goal to give even more in 2012 and increase participation in Ms. Molly system-wide, eventually getting all 450-plus franchise owners on board.

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. Many franchise owners around the country also extend their efforts beyond October by holding silent auctions, partnering with local shelters and organizing charity events.

Many franchise owners also participate in the "Dime-ond Level" program of support by committing to contribute any amount - usually a dime - per cleaning year round. This extra donation significantly increases the company's ability to raise funds for shelters, local organizations and programs which support victims of Domestic Violence.

"Our franchise owners are exceptionally generous people," Itaya said. "They feel that it is everyone's social responsibility to give back to the communities in which we live and work, and their dedication to support the Ms. Molly Foundation and this very important cause inspires us at the home office each and every day to do more for others."

For more information on how to participate or to contribute to the foundation, visit www.mollymaid.com/foundation or contact Molly Maid at 1-800-MOLLYMAID (1-800-665-5962).

About Molly Maid
Molly Maid, based in Ann Arbor, MI, is one of four service companies under Service Brands International. The residential cleaning franchise cleaned more than 1.4 million homes last year alone. Molly Maid was founded in 1979 and began franchising in1984. Currently, more than 450 Molly Maid units are operating in the United States alone, with an additional 300 operating throughout Puerto Rico, Canada, Japan, England and Portugal. Molly Maid has consistently ranked high in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 rankings and has been the recipient of numerous awards for entrepreneurialism, software innovation and humanitarian causes.