Sodexo Stops Hunger

Win a $5,000 Scholarship for College

By Amy and Emma Bushman
November 14th, 2011

We are Amy and Emma Bushman, the founders of Bake Me Home, and the recipients of a 2011 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship! 

We were really happy when we found out we won the Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship last year. We were literally in shock and could not stop smiling!

The money we won for Bake Me Home will help us expand to help more families. The money we won for college makes us really proud that we are helping add to our college account when we are only ten.

If you’re making a difference helping hungry people in your community, tell the Sodexo Foundation about it. You could be selected as one of this year’s national STOP Hunger Scholars.  

Now is the time to apply! Your local charity will get a $5,000 grant and you’ll get to put the same amount away for college. Don’t wait – the application deadline is December 5, 2011!

PS: Watch us on YouTube! We might only be ten, but we plan to keep running Bake Me Home with our kids when we grow up.

Amy & Emma are 2011 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship award winners.

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Sustaining the Cause

By Robert A. Stern
November 9th, 2011

Bob Stern, president of the Sodexo Foundation

A few weeks ago I attended the 2011 Conference of Leaders in Baltimore, hosted by Share Our Strength. I met a lot of extremely motivated individuals in the fight against hunger.  It was particularly gratifying to see Sodexo Chef Robert Murnan presented with an award for his outstanding work and leadership with Cooking Matters Omaha.

During the conference I also had an opportunity to preview a collaborative effort by Share Our Strength and YSA (Youth Service America) to develop a new online youth action center dubbed No Kid Hungry 2. It was developed with funding provided by the Sodexo Foundation and debuts on the first anniversary of No Kid Hungry. The site, which goes live today at NoKidHungry2.org, aims to engage youth in the national anti-hunger movement by encouraging and educating a new generation of passionate and dedicated young leaders who will advocate for this cause among their school peers and friends. 

No Kid Hungry 2 is feature and resource-rich, with two main sections: Kids Kick Hunger for those under 13 years old and Leaders Tackle Hunger for ages 13 and above. Age-appropriate content and resources will be posted to each section, enabling young people to organize volunteer activities, launch advocacy efforts and raise awareness in their schools and local neighborhoods about childhood hunger in America.

A look at the new nokidhungry2.org website. Click on the picture to check it out.

The site’s integration of social media tools offers powerful means for connecting young people all over the U.S., while also providing them with the ideas and resources they need to be effective change agents in their own communities. I like to think of No Kid Hungry 2 as a “brain trust of youth hunger champions.”

In opening his speech at Conference of Leaders, Share Our Strength chairman and CEO, Billy Shore used a humorous anecdote about his six year old son warning a fellow beach toddler about the temporal nature of sand castles, observing that they are never there in the morning. Shore went on to tell the audience that unlike those unsustainable structures, Share Our Strength, with the help of its many supporters, has put into place a solid foundation built around multiple platforms guaranteeing that its work and efforts will endure well beyond the next sunrise.

No Kid Hungry 2 is just one such platform upon which the work of fighting childhood hunger will advance. It will be instrumental in helping bring food to, as Shore put it, “the most vulnerable and the least responsible for the position they are in” – children.

Please share the link for No Kid Hungry 2 and empower the young people in your life to uplift their peers.

Robert A. Stern is senior vice president and general counsel for Sodexo, Inc. and president of the Sodexo Foundation, which supports innovative programs to help children and families in the United States who are at-risk of hunger. 

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“Do the thing that’s in front of you.”

By Ambassador Tony P. Hall
October 5th, 2011

Everywhere you look these days, it seems that the world is filled with struggle and suffering. 

I was recently on the world’s largest refugee camp, Dadaab, on the Kenya-Somalia border.  As you know, the Horn of Africa is experiencing the region’s worst drought in sixty years.  More than 450,000 have trekked for days and weeks across the desert seeking food, water, shelter, and safety in Dabaab.  I met women who had buried children who died on the journey and men whose entire livelihoods have been wiped away by the drought. 

Several younger members of the world’s largest refugee camp, Dadaab, on the Kenya-Somalia border. Click on the picture for more photographs courtesy Alliance to End Hunger

Here at home, the USDA reported that, for the third consecutive year, 1 in 6 Americans live in households that are food insecure.  Among the nearly 49 million Americans facing hunger are more than 16 million children.   

For those of us who want to help, it’s tough to know where to start and it’s easy to get discouraged.  That’s how I felt during my first years in Congress.  I decided early on that I wanted to make ending hunger my number one issue.  People thought I was crazy – they didn’t think there was any hope for ending hunger and couldn’t understand why I wanted to spend my time working on it.  Their doubts would rub off on me and I began to wonder whether or not I could really make a difference. 

Then I had a conversation that totally changed my perspective.  I was in India and had a chance to meet Mother Teresa.  We were walking through the streets of Calcutta and she was stopping to care for people along the side of the road.  I said to her, “What can I possibly do to help end hunger around the world?  I can’t even help the hungry people on this street!”  Mother Teresa didn’t respond right away.  After a few minutes she said, “Tony, you just need to do the thing that’s in front of you.  No more, no less.” 

I know that many of you are deeply concerned about hungry people here in the US and around the world.   If you are looking for ways to help, there are practical, effective steps you can take:  contribute to organizations fighting hunger and poverty, donate canned goods to your local food pantry, or even contact your Members of Congress and let them know that you care about these issues.

I hope that Mother Teresa’s words encourage you, just like they encouraged me, to “do the thing that’s in front of you.”

Ambassador Tony Hall represented the people of Dayton, Ohio, for 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.  He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.  Ambassador Hall is the executive director of the Alliance to End Hunger, an organization that engages diverse institutions – corporations, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and universities – in building the will to end hunger at home and abroad.  Sodexo is a Founding Member of the Alliance to End Hunger.

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Meaningful Partnerships

By Jim Schulze
September 8th, 2011

Make a difference: Click the photograph above to 'Like' the Oneida Facebook Page!

On June 6, 2010, I had the opportunity to attend the Annual Sodexo Foundation dinner, held in the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.  It was my first experience with this dinner.  It was also my first exposure to both the many great activities the Sodexo Foundation organizes, and those programs created by individuals throughout the United States.   During the introductory presentations they shared interesting information about how the foundation got started and its vision for the future.  This helped me gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the culture within Sodexo.

During the dinner, Sodexo management recognized the efforts of several individuals who developed programs in their local communities, helping feed the hungry.  They shared the touching stories of how these children and adults decided to take action, and the incredible impact they had on others in need. They recognized six children, ages 5 to 19, who created special programs.   It was inspiring to see these young individuals spending time to make life better for others.  They were able to do so much with very few resources.  These students did not set out to gain recognition, but it was wonderful to see them rewarded for their good work.  The Sodexo Foundation made an impact in their lives with the awarding of a $5,000 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship for the individual and a $5,000 matching grants for each of their hunger-related charities of choice.

The Heroes of Everyday Life program was also heart warming.  The company encourages all their employees to find ways to help fight hunger in their local communities.  Every year at this dinner, they recognize about 8 employees that they feel have really exemplified the strongest acts of giving.  They shared the individual stories of these employees and the type of impact they have made on fighting hunger.  It’s very humbling to hear what they were able to accomplish.  The recipients were extremely proud and happy to accept the grants for their local charities.

During the presentation, they shared some incredible statistics; including one in every four children in America is at risk of hunger.  I have three children of my own and everyday have at least four children in my home.  The thought that one of them could go to bed hungry really made me stop and think.   I walked away from this dinner with a huge appreciation for Sodexo and the Sodexo Foundation.  I found myself proud to have Oneida Ltd. associated with such a company.  I also wanted to find a way for Oneida to be involved in supporting this foundation and the individuals it helps everyday. 

I helped put together a program that would not only contribute to the Sodexo Foundation, but would also build sales for Oneida.  I presented to our upper management and they were immediately supportive of the idea.  Oneida committed to donating 2% of sales from our luxury and fine dining products that were sold to Sodexo business units through Edward Don, our distributor.  Our sales team, Edward Don’s sales team, and the Hunger Champion’s at Sodexo all did a great job communicating the program to help impact the results. All parties were pleased with the results of the first year of this program.

We are now very excited to kick off our second year of this program, and have moved up the date to start in September, Hunger Action Month.  We are adding a social media component thru Facebook and Twitter.  On Facebook, we will add to our total donation, $1 for every new Oneida Ltd Fan from 9/12/11 – 10/12/11, with a goal of gaining 1,000 new fans.  Fans can also donate directly to the Sodexo Foundation while on the Oneida Ltd Facebook page through a special app. Please help us make this 1,000 new fan goal a reality – click here!

Jim Schulze is senior vice president of sales for Oneida Global Foodservice.

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Baking a Difference

By Amy and Emma Bushman
August 12th, 2011

Check out more "Bake Me Home" pictures by clicking on the above photograph.

Amy:    I was really happy when I found out we won the Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship!  I said “Wooooowwww,” when Sarah from Sodexo gave us the giant check at one of our jar filling activities.

Emma: I was stunned! I was literally in shock. I could not stop smiling!  The money we won for Bake Me Home will help us expand to help more families. The money we won for college makes us really proud that we are helping add to our college account when we are only ten. But, at the award ceremony, I was a little nervous.

Amy:    I thought it was really cool to be up there in front of almost a thousand people and get to talk too!  Our mom said not many adults would want to do that!  They got a few new catch phrases out of our video too — whenever they have a problem at Sodexo they can just say, “Let me think…” 

Emma:  Up on stage while we watched the video, all we thought was wow, what a wonderful job they did on it, and how much we love it, and how great the people working at Sodexo really are.

Amy:    We really thought Julia Pipkins’ story was super cool. How getting that box of groceries in her door as a kid changed her life and inspired her to grow up and help other hungry people.  Wouldn’t it be cool if something like that happened with a kid who got one of our Tote Bags — if they grew up to be like Julia!

Amy:    We are happy to say that the Sodexo Foundation has inspired us to create our own awards where kids write in and tell us about what they did to help an organization that helps kids. We will pick two winners at the end of the summer who will each win $100 for a charity they pick. We hope one day we can grow it to even more money!  A big part of our mission is getting other kids to volunteer, so we think this is a good idea. There is more information about our Bake Me Home Summer Service Grants on our website www.bakemehome.com.

Emma: Thank you to Sodexo and Mr. Brady’s family (we loved meeting Pascale and her daughters) for a great trip to Washington DC.  We promise to try and do lots of good with the money you gave us!

Amy and Emma Bushman are the founders of Bake Me Home. Their organization now has more than 100 volunteers helping more than 200 families each year.

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Daily Inspirations

By Ryan Wilson
August 3rd, 2011

When I first learned that I was selected as one of Sodexo’s Heroes of Everyday Life® — a distinction for Sodexo employees who voluntarily work to end hunger in their community – I was expecting a one-day event in Washington, D.C.  I thought I would drive to D.C. the day of the event, attend the 12th Annual Sodexo Foundation Dinner that evening and return home the next morning. The Sodexo team exceeded all expectations!

The Heroes of Everyday Life Award entailed a four-day event and allowed for an invited guest to accompany each Hero.

Day 1- was a meet-n-greet with the other Sodexo Heroes and an orientation to events about to unfold over the next three days. It was a great ice breaker and we met several of the key staff coordinating this experience.

Day 2 – was a top notch – “2nd: to none day!” It started with meeting several key members of the Sodexo’s PR, Community Relations and Government Affairs teams. They were our escorts for the day.

We then went to the U.S. Capitol Building for an all day tour, to include the House and Senate sides of the Capitol Building. Typically when touring the whole Capitol Building complex you exit the building to get to the other office buildings – House or Senate side. Our escorts, however, scored us access to the transportation train that runs in the basement of the Capitol. This train is off limits to the general public and is mostly used for congressional staff only. It was rather cool walking the tunnels and riding the train with our country’s leaders. I walked right by one from my home state – Senator Toomey, from Pennsylvania!

We also ate in one of the congressional staff only cafeterias. Once again, this area is not for the general public so I felt rather privileged to be dining among our legislators!

But, the best part of the day was meeting with our home state senators (Senator Casey on my visit) or their staff person and telling them our stories and about all of the positive things that Sodexo does in local communities.

That evening we had dinner with Board members of the Sodexo Foundation and met the Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship recipients. These students were just awesome. The things that they are doing for the cause at such a young age are truly remarkable.

Day 3 –was the day of the Foundation Dinner. It was attended by more than 930 people and raised $1 million for the Sodexo Foundation. The evening was filled with powerful stories about fighting hunger.

Day 4 – allowed time for reflection before heading home. Taking it all in, I had a renewed appreciation for each honoree and the work that the Sodexo Foundation does on a daily basis. I was inspired to do more!

In addition to being publically recognized at the dinner, Heroes were awarded a $5,000 check for the hunger relief charity of their choice.  I will present mine to North Hills Community Outreach (NHCO) at its August 2011 Board Meeting. NHCO will use the grant to cover operating costs for their two food pantries. Its pantries serve about 1,200 low-income families every year.

Ryan Wilson is a Sodexo General Manager for the Beaver Area School District in Pennsylvania. His food drives and donations have provided more than 54,000 meals to families and children in his community.

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Beyond Responsibility

By Frances Williams
July 26th, 2011

Frances Williams, one of Sodexo’s 2011 Heroes of Everyday Life®

Having an opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. where I was honored as one of Sodexo’s Heroes of Everyday Life® was a wonderful experience for me, as well as my mother who I invited along for the trip. I want to begin, however, by personally expressing my gratitude toward Sodexo and all of the people that have supported my initiative from the very beginning.  Without that support I would not be able to do what needs to be done for the thousands who are benefiting from volunteer efforts like mine.

What a great honor it has been to be recognized by the Sodexo Foundation for the work I do beyond my paid responsibilities.  Even as we were being recognized by some very distinguished individuals, it was such a humbling experience just to be in the midst of everyday people who think of others and act on their thoughts.  I have learned a lot from that experience and will hold it dear to my heart as I continue to grow with Sodexo.

The grant which was awarded to my Do Over Ministry will go a long way to help thousands of individuals as I plan to expand my resources and reach many more people in need using the finances provided.  One of many ways it will help is through an effort that will take place around the end of August, where we will be able to provide uniforms, book bags, school supplies, and after school snacks to approximately 75 school children.

My gratitude cannot be overstated for having the opportunity to work with such a caring company and for it to not only recognize, but to encourage my passion for providing for those less advantaged.

I was proud that my mother could be there with me on the evening of the awards presentation at the 12th Annual Sodexo Foundation Dinner. Yes, I invited her. But, she – through her example – got me there.

Frances Williams is a Sodexo Cook at PNC Bank and is the founder of Do Over Ministry, which offers clothing, career guidance, education and nutritional counseling in Philadelphia communities.

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A Privilege to be a Part of Feeding Our Future

By Shaynee Roper, RD, LD
July 8th, 2011

The Sodexo Foundation established Feeding Our Future® to ensure that children who depend on federal meal programs during the school year still receive nutritious meals during the summer months.

Driving my step children to Summer Camp this morning, I checked to make sure each of them had $5 “snack money” for their field trip today.  Being a Dietitian, I asked them not to buy sweets, like candy and popsicles, but I still knew most of the money would be spent on junk food.

While making the drive from camp to Sodexo, I began thinking about a volunteer event my team and I participated in last year during the Feeding Our Future® program. That particular day, we were serving “Make Your Own Pizza”: English Muffins, Marinara Sauce, and Shredded Mozzarella Cheese. 

One child broke the English muffin in half, used only half of the sauce & cheese.  He carefully placed the leftover sauce & cheese in a little container, snapped the top on and slid the English muffin half back into his bag.  I asked him if there was something wrong with his food; he shook his head “no”.  He then looked up to me with his big brown eyes and said, “We don’t have any food at home right now, so I am taking this home to share with my mom and dad.”  We told him to go ahead and eat the whole pizza, and then gave him 2 more pizzas for his parents. 

That meal was the only meal that family was going to have that day, and possibly for several days.  I wondered how many children are in the same situation as that child was — Not only here in Houston, but all over this Nation.

Sodexo has given me the opportunity to help put an end to the awful problem of childhood hunger. We now have 24 sites throughout the U.S. involved in Sodexo’s Feeding Our Future program.  I am proud to work for a company who makes the fight against hunger part of their mission.

Seeing the faces of those children who benefitted from the meals we provided that day has made a profound impact on my life. Each of us making the site visit that day left in tears, but at the same time, we felt incredibly lucky to have what we have.

It is amazing for me to think that I sent my step children to Summer Camp with a full lunch and money for a snack.  My biggest worry was keeping them away from junk food.  Their lunch alone was probably more food than most of the children served in the Feeding Our Future program receives in a week!

Shaynee Roper is a Sodexo dietitian and clinical nutrition manager for the Harris County Hospital District in Houston, Texas.

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Youth-Inspired Efforts to Fight Hunger

By Steven A. Culbertson
April 15th, 2011

Youth Service America event in Chicago

Today, more than half the world’s population is under age 25, presenting an unprecedented opportunity to engage young people in solving the most pressing problems around the globe.

What better way to champion a social cause than using such a passion-filled demographic as the purveyors of change? Look around at the world today; democratic uprisings are being started by people barely old enough to drive a car.  

While America is fortunate enough to have a democratic government, our great country is not without challenges. 14.1 million children live in poverty, 1 in 50 kids don’t know where they will sleep tonight and an astounding 1 in 4 children – 17 million — don’t have enough food on a daily basis.

The Sodexo Foundation is putting the ability to solve childhood hunger, directly into the hands of children. Sodexo Youth Grants are unique in that young people age 5 – 25 have the opportunity to apply for them in order to start and implement projects independently.

On Global Youth Service Day, April 15 – 17, hundreds of children across the country will participate in 25 different Sodexo Foundation-funded projects.

For example, the Keystone Kids Project in Philadelphia is addressing hunger and homelessness through film. Kids from age 12 – 17 will interview fellow youth who struggle with poverty daily, including those who rely on soup kitchens to eat. Upon showing the film, participants will hold a 24-hour fast with activities that raise awareness about child hunger among their peers, politicians and members of the community.

Another project of note takes place in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Mayor’s Youth Task Force will conduct a campaign (from April to August) called “Hunger Doesn’t Take the Summer Off.” This will draw awareness to and showcase how many children receive free and reduced lunches during the school year and what their options are during the summer. Grant recipients will set up an information booth at the local library, distribute literature, recruit volunteers to pack food and assist with the local food shelf.

Today’s youth are not waiting to “grow up” to become leaders of change; they are perfectly capable of leading it today.

Steven A. Culbertson is president and CEO of Youth Service America an international nonprofit organization that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and the quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people to serve locally, nationally, and globally.

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Ending Childhood Hunger One State at a Time

By Patricia Nicklin
February 22nd, 2011

Participating in Maryland’s Summer Meals Planning Conference was such an honor.  The exciting news included the announcement of Sodexo Foundation’s $20 million commitment to ending childhood hunger in partnership with Share Our Strength and Youth Service America.

Rosemary King Johnston, executive director of the Maryland Governor’s Office for Children, told me that Sodexo Foundation president Steve Brady was one of the first people she met after Governor O’Malley asked her to lead efforts to end childhood hunger in Maryland. Steve assured her that her work with Share Our Strength would make a real impact and attract support from companies, foundations and public servants across the state. Steve, Rosemary and I have seen Steve’s prediction become reality, thanks largely to Sodexo’s vision and steadfast commitment to the children in its headquarters state and beyond.

One question has motivated me for the last six years: “How can we end childhood hunger in the United States?”  Share Our Strength adopted this goal as our priority in 2004 and launched the first childhood hunger plan in Washington, D.C. with funding from Sodexo Foundation. Now, just seven years later, we have launched No Kid Hungry Campaign partnerships in 11 cities and states, including Maryland, and plan to be in 18 states by the end of 2011.

Share Our Strength’s goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015 through public-private partnerships has inspired me to join the Partnership for Public Service. It is more important than ever to build partnerships across the sectors – including companies like Sodexo – to solve the nation’s most serious social problems. 

Although I am leaving Share Our Strength after 12 years to become the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Partnership for Public Service, I’m so pleased to know that the important work of the organization will continue to grow, thanks to the deepened commitment from Sodexo Foundation to ending childhood hunger. Together we have already changed the lives of thousands of families and children.  We have given them not just food, or money, but a voice and hope.  Thank you for your support and best wishes as the partnership continues.

Partnership for Public Service is a national nonprofit organization that works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve. I am incredibly excited to work on this important issue, and will not forget the important work Share Our Strength, Sodexo and others do every single day to assist those in need.

Patricia Nicklin is the managing director of Share Our Strength®, a national non-profit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. She will soon depart to become the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Partnership for Public Service, a non-profit dedicated to revitalizing public service and improving government performance.

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