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Studio Movie Grill (SMG), headquartered in Preston Hollow, is expanding its community service and outreach initiatives for employees and moviegoers. SMG encourages their employees to support local initiatives and be “a good neighbor both inside, and outside of the theater”.

SMG Special Needs Screening Program 

SMG Special Needs Screening Program began in 2003 when a General Manager and father of a special needs child expressed concern and apprehension while attending a movie with his family. An idea was formed from that day and SMG created its Special Needs Screening Program.

The Special Needs Screening Program allows moviegoers and their families the opportunity to experience newly released titles with unique screening considerations. The sensory-friendly screenings are presented with lights up and low volumes. Moving around the theater and talking are allowed during these screenings. Beginning this year, SMG has made changes to its loyalty program SMG Access.  SMG Access now offers free tickets to all Special Needs Screening guests.

“When we launched SMG Access in 2018, it was the only theater loyalty program that had a ‘get-give’ component. We remain true to that tenet and have now expanded the Special Needs Screenings Program to align these two legacy outreach efforts for good,” said Ted Low, VP Brand and Marketing.

When opening a new location, SMG often partners with Variety, the Children’s Charity to give a child in need an adaptive bicycle. In 2022, SMG Teams presented these adaptive bikes to children across California and Texas. They also invited the children’s therapy center to one of their Special Needs Screenings. For many of the children, this was their first time going to a movie theater.

Community Service and Outreach

Community Service and Outreach have been pillars of SMG and its stakeholder model since it was established in 2000. Theater teams and employees are encouraged to support their communities through initiatives and outreach programs such as food drives, prom dress drives, fundraisers and holiday toy drives. They also work with organizations such as Autism Speaks, Habitat for Humanity, Make- A- Wish and Special Olympics.

“Team Members have always been involved in their communities, lending hands to voluntarily support programs that mattered to them,” said Jenna Patrick, VP Human Resources. “The chance to positively impact the lives of those within their local communities is a unique attribute to SMG, and one that new Team Members consistently identify as a key factor during their employment search.”

SMG announced that it will be partnering with Feeding America. Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Its mission is to advance change in America by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all in partnership with food banks, policymakers, supporters, and the communities they serve. SMG also announced that all salaried Field Management, Area Directors, and Home Office Team Members will be offered paid time off to volunteer with Feeding America or one of its affiliates.

Next month SMG will be partnering with Autism Speaks for World Autism Month. For the entire month of April, SMG will present a culinary offering with a percentage of proceeds going to Autism Speaks.  This will be the seventh year that the SMG Culinary team has supported Special Needs families during this month.
 
“It truly is a gift to be a part of an organization that values giving back. Sometimes that’s financially, sometimes that’s our facilities or a movie on the big screen, and sometimes that’s a fun run in our neighborhood, but it’s always something. ‘Opening Hearts and Minds, One Story at a Time’ is a sign inside most every building and at the Home Office, and it serves as a constant reminder that we can impact the people around us for good through the power of movies and sharing a meal with family and friends,” said Michael McCreary, SMG’s longest-tenured Team Member and Vice President of Operations.