WESTBROOK – Local eateries are pitching in to help the Animal Refuge League with a “Taste of Westbrook” event scheduled for next week.

From March 27 to April 2, participating restaurants in Westbrook are running promotions in which they will donate a portion of their proceeds to the league, according to Carol Taylor, a human resources consultant at Disability RMS, the company that is coordinating the event.

“We’re creating goodwill for Westbrook,” she said.

Machelle Jordan, who works in customer service at the company, helped come up with the idea. She said the inspiration came from similar events in Portland, Boston and other cities. As of this week, the promotion involves at least 11 different local restaurants. Jordan said she wanted to start the promotion to support the shelter. She has a 12-year-old black Labrador retriever, Baxter, whom she adopted from the shelter.

The other goal, however, is to promote local businesses.

“They’re a vibrant part of our community,” she said.

Taylor said Disability RMS has always supported local charities, but in 2010 the company began a more structured approach, forming a community involvement committee to come up with ideas for donation programs.

This year, the company is supporting the Animal Refuge League, and raised $2,400 from its employees last quarter.

Patsy Murphy, executive director for the shelter, called Disability RMS “a significant contributor” to the organization.

“We couldn’t be more thankful and more grateful,” she said. “They make that link that animals and humans improve the quality of life for each other,” she said.

Ashley Dixon, a new business specialist at Disability RMS, said the shelter responded to the event by bringing adoption literature, as well as photos of adoptable animals, to display at the company and encourage company employees to take part.

Dixon said she has organized a bottle drive that has produced large bags of returnable bottles for the shelter.

“I just like to help people,” she said.

Jordan said many of the restaurants she spoke to said they were considering starting up charitable projects of their own.

“A lot of businesses have been really great,” she said.

One of those businesses is Pizza Time. Owner Steve Orr said most of his employees are pet owners, so deciding to join a promotion to help the Animal Refuge League was easy, and working with Disability RMS made it even easier.

“We think they’re a great company,” he said. “They’re a great company to team up with.”

Orr said learning of Disability RMS’s organized approach to charitable contributions has inspired him to start up a similar program. Starting next month, Orr said, Pizza Time will be kicking off a monthly series of events to spotlight local business and contribute to charity.

Jordan said she was moved to hear what Orr was planning.

“I actually got a little teary,” she said.

Ashley Dixon, a new business specialist at Disability RMS, looks over a display of pet photos and Animal Refuge League material at the company. Employees in the Westbrook firm have organized an event called A Taste of Westbrook to benefit the shelter.Staff photo by Sean Murphy