Employees granted $5,000 for local charities while Students each awarded $10,000 in scholarships and grants for fighting hunger in local communities.
Gaithersburg, MD, June 12, 2018 – With the goal to end hunger by 2030, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation awarded the efforts of five students and five Sodexo employees who are making a difference in their communities by helping those at risk of hunger. Whether operating food pantries in their schools or running soup kitchens in their spare time, these inspirational individuals are leading the fight to get to zero hunger.
“Ending hunger by 2030 is possible, however it is a problem too big for one organization to solve alone,” explained Gerri Mason Hall, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Chair and Chief Human Resources Officer, Sodexo North America. “Through the innovative actions of private-public-partnerships, advocacy for programs that protect those at risk of hunger, and reducing food waste through food recovery, we can get to zero hunger,” she added.
The five students were honored with the Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship, which recognizes students who drive awareness and mobilize youth to be catalysts for innovative models that provide solutions to eliminate hunger in America. The scholarship awardees comprise a wide variety of students, ages five to 25. Five are recognized at the national level and receive a $5,000 grant and $5,000 scholarship. 20 scholars are also awarded at the regional level with a $1,000 grant. Since the program’s inception in 2007, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has awarded more than $770,000 in grants and scholarships.
The Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholars for 2018 are:
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Addy Battel, age 15, Cass City, Michigan
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Bradley Ferguson, age 17, Northfield, New Jersey
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Addison McKenna, age 12, Austin, Texas
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Lauren Seroyer, age 18, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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Kelsea Suarez, age 22, New York City, New York
Click here to view a video interview with the 2018 Stop Hunger Scholars about the impact Boost The Youth would have on their efforts to end hunger.
To provide additional support to the Stop Hunger Scholars’ innovative solutions toward zero hunger, the Boost the Youth initiative was unveiled at the 19th Annual Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Dinner on June 11, 2018 in Washington, D.C. Boost the Youth’s goal is to raise $10,000 and the Foundation will triple every dollar donated through Thursday, June 14 at midnight, EDT. Visit www.tiny.cc/BradyScholars to learn more and donate.
The Sodexo employees received the Heroes of Everyday Life award, which highlights employees who invest their time, talent and resources to help some of the 42 million people at risk of hunger in the U.S. Collectively they raise awareness, raise funds, coordinate food drives, volunteer in soup kitchens, support food recovery programs, and teach nutrition education and healthy cooking skills. Each Hero receives a $5,000 grant for a hunger-related charity of their choice.
The 2018 Heroes of Everyday Life are:
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Beverly Romear-Doukwah, West Palm Beach, Florida
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Deanna Durigon, Orange, California
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Jude Jerome, Albany, New York
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Patrick Emanuel Claude Gassion, Washington, D.C.
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Yvonne Hayes, Charlotte, North Carolina
Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation works to ensure that every child in the United States, especially those most at risk, grows up with dependable access to enough nutritious food to enable them to lead a healthy, productive life. Visit Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @StopHungerUSA.
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About Sodexo North America
Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 80 countries. Sodexo is a leading provider of integrated food, facilities management and other services that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life for millions of customers in corporate, education, healthcare, senior living, sports and leisure, government and other environments daily. The company employs 133,000 people at 13,000 sites in all 50 U.S. states and Canada and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs through its annual purchases of $9.2 billion in goods and services from small to large American businesses. In support of local communities across the U.S., the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed close to $32 million over the past 20 years to help feed children in America impacted by hunger. To learn more about Sodexo, visit SodexoInsights.com and connect with us on Facebook and @SodexoUSA on Twitter.
