Posts Tagged ‘child hunger’

Ways to Serve, No Foolin’!

Friday, March 29th, 2013

Bob Stern

April 1st is special for a number of reasons: April Fool’s Day; opening day for Major League Baseball; and now it’s officially recognized as the start of Sodexo Servathon!

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley issued a formal proclamation this year, saluting Servathon and Sodexo’s important work fighting hunger in local communities.

Servathon is Sodexo’s largest employee engagement initiative in North America and around the world. Last year 40,000 employees in 35 countries got involved in the fight against hunger.

This year, I’m afraid the need is as great as ever. 50 million Americans, including more than 16 million children, don’t have enough to eat.

Since improving quality of life is important to Sodexo, it just makes sense that we ask employees to get involved in service projects in their communities to help fight hunger.

Volunteering at the Manna Food Center.

This year we’re asking employees to include youth in their service efforts too. I’ve found that today’s generation of youth is amazingly public-service oriented, and usually very eager to help those in need.

Involving kids also helps raise awareness around the issue of hunger, and helps ensure a strong pipeline of future leaders and volunteers in the fight against hunger. I encourage everyone to think about the young people in their life and find easy but effective ways for them to help out.

Earlier this week, my son, Elliott, joined me and several of my Sodexo colleagues at a volunteer event sponsored by PANG at Manna Food Center near our headquarters.

He’s done it before and he knows that poverty persists in every county and just about every school. My son is student teaching in a high school now, and he told me he has seen how hard it is for students to study when they are hungry. Having my son alongside me for Servathon was a special experience.

PANG, a Sodexo Employee Business Resource group, volunteering at Manna Food Center during Sodexo Servathon.

Need some thought-starters on how to mobilize youth to tackle the massive issue of hunger? Here are just a few simple ideas:

  • Block-out some time; whatever you can spare, minutes, hours or more and prepare or serve meals at a soup kitchen or sort food at a local food bank.
  • Take the No Kid Hungry Pledge, and ask young people in your life to take the pledge with you.
  • Raise funds or collect food to donate in your community.
  • Visit No Kid Hungry 2 for cool ideas on how to involve youth.

You can even check out Sodexo’s Servathon page for additional resources. And don’t forget to let us know what you’ve done, by sharing your Servathon story through our online survey.

Robert A. Stern is senior vice president and general counsel for Sodexo, Inc. and president of 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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F.O.O.D. for Thought

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

Charmion Wood

How many of us grew up hearing that we should finish the food on our plates, because there are kids elsewhere who would be grateful for what we waste? Maybe some still hear this today. Thankfully many of us took it to heart and to this day look for ways to divert safe, nutritious food from landfills — getting it to those in our own communities who are in need.

Sodexo at Landon School has been donating food to DC Central Kitchen and the Capital Area Food Bank for over 16 years. Of course, in our business, one of our top priorities is preventing food waste in the first place, but when there remains excess un-served food that has already been prepared, Sodexo’s policy is to feed hungry people.

Diverting surplus food to agencies that help to feed hungry residents is a great way to support our local communities and it is simply the right thing to do. Sodexo not only advocates for such initiatives, it actively challenges its employees and mobilizes youth to participate in numerous ways.

The Landon School community, including faculty, parents and students are aware of Sodexo’s food donation program and backs it wholeheartedly. The staff has been recognized in the Landon newspaper, the Landon magazine and by Sodexo for its successes in food donation.

The process is very simple to set up. Our thinking… STOP Hunger, Donate F.O.O.D. Following this easy-to-remember acronym will help you get started.

F.O.O.D. for Thought

  • Follow safe food handling procedures as outlined in the HACCP Manual. Sodexo makes this information, along with other forms and templates available to employee volunteers.
  • Obtain an approved anti-hunger non-profit partner. This helps ensure surplus food is reaching the people most in need.
  • Outline roles and responsibilities of volunteers. Ensuring preparation, packing and scheduling of pick-ups or drop-offs is critical to success.
  • Donate surplus food to feed hungry families and children.

Too many people fear donating surplus food, even as they witness the severe need. Concerns about food safety and litigation are paramount. But if you follow these simple guidelines, provide proper training and reach out to others who have had success, these concerns will soon fade — so will hunger.

Charmion Wood is the Sodexo general manager at the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Reflecting on a Heroic Past

Monday, February 11th, 2013

Dennis Shepherd

It’s hard to believe nearly three years have flown by since experiencing one of the more memorable moments in my life. No, certainly not as important as my wedding day or the birth of my first child – but memorable just the same.

Nearly three years ago, I had the opportunity to see the White House for the first time in my life. It was during that same trip to Washington I had a personal meeting with my representative, Congressman Walter Jones at the U.S. Capitol. The reason for the trip? I was being honored by Sodexo Foundation on stage at the historic Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C. for the volunteer work that I do in my community to fight hunger.

The memory of those experiences and being called a “Hero of Everyday Life” still move me. The reason it is so memorable is because it was a once in a lifetime chance to see and meet so many important figures and to be honored publicly before a thousand onlookers at a benefit dinner. It was more than I could imagine. It was surreal.

None of it would have been possible without a Sodexo district manager who was aware of my volunteer work and felt it needed to be recognized. Getting to know those who you work with and supervise beyond the scope of their 9-5 responsibilities can mean everything for both morale and productivity.

Dennis Shepherd (top left) and the rest of the 2010 Heroes of Everyday Life.

In addition to all of the larger-than-life experiences I had as a result of being named a Hero of Everyday Life, I came away with a couple of small but important lessons that I’ve been able to apply in my life. The first is that sometimes we need to talk about the good work we are doing, because you never know where it may lead or what additional support you might come by. Another is simply that anyone, young or old, can make a huge difference – specifically in fighting hunger. I saw that first hand through the stories of young people honored just before me, on the same stage that night.

I’ve since started taking my sixteen year old daughter along with me to raise donations, and to volunteer at our local soup kitchen. She’s a hard worker and has been helpful in doing more charity work to improve our community.

There is no doubt in my mind about the power of public recognition. I was so inspired after my trip to Washington that I volunteered the very next weekend and raised additional funds and collected more than 1200 pounds of food. If you are an eyewitness to random acts of kindness, acknowledge them. Recognize your fellow employees, praise youth efforts and nominate individuals doing exceptional things to fight hunger. Better yet, join in.

The $5000 grant I received from Sodexo Foundation helped the Jacksonville Soup Kitchen, which was for their Meals on Wheels program to take food to the elderly. If you know a Sodexo employee who is working to end hunger, recognize their efforts by submitting a Hero nomination on www.SodexoFoundation.org.

I’m sure I’d still be doing the volunteer work that I do even without the recognition, but it does have value. Think of the fond memories it will create for someone for years and years to come.

Dennis Shepherd is a driver for Sodexo at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and is a 2010 Hero of Everyday Life. Read more about Dennis and other recipients here.

The 2013 Heroes of Everyday Life® nomination period is open now through March 8.

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Mineola Macaroni: Making a Difference

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Nancy Regan

Thanks to Sodexo Foundation and YSA (Youth Service America), the students in my AP United States History Class at Mineola High School have been fortunate to participate in an extended service-learning program focusing on raising awareness and helping to fight the growing problem of childhood hunger.

The program, based at our school in New York, involved the students tracing the history of hunger in America and researching the depths of the problem in today’s society. The tables then turned, with the students actually teaching a number of 8th grade classes about their research and enlisting the 8th graders help in their service efforts.

There were two service initiatives. The first was a district-wide food drive to benefit Long Island Cares. During the week-long drive, 2,000 non-perishable food items were collected. Students developed innovative ways including “extreme couponing” to gather as much food as possible for donation.

The second, our largest initiative was called Mineola Macaroni Making a Difference. This was a Pasta Dinner to benefit the Mary Brennan Inn, the largest soup kitchen on Long Island which serves around 400 hot meals per day. Mineola Macaroni: Making a Difference was held on Thursday, March 29th. It was a huge success. Over 300 people attended and the students raised over $2,700.

Students at Mineola High School focused on raising awareness of childhood hunger and helping to fight the epidemic as well.

The students together with the faculty volunteers cooked and served dinner, displayed their research, and facilitated mini service projects during the evening. Working on this project and seeing the enthusiasm and dedication of my students to our efforts was one of the most rewarding experiences of my teaching career. We truly became a school community working together for the greater good and our community really supported our efforts. My students’ reflections illustrate the impact of the project and the importance of service-learning:

“I loved being a part of the project. I never knew how good it could feel to spend your time and energy to help a cause that you feel very strongly about. My eyes are opened… I hope to volunteer for the rest of my life!” Katie

“It was incredible being part of this long-term project and its fantastic results. “I never saw a group of high school students do anything like this. It was at this moment that I realized just how much I had contributed to something that really made a difference. It was something to really be proud of.”  Jill

“I’m inspired to continue to make the world a better place.” Janet

Students like Katie, Jill and Janet have inspired us all.

Nancy Regan is a social studies teacher at Minneola High School Garden City Park – a Sodexo Foundation School Engagement Grant Recipient.

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Meaningful Partnerships

Thursday, 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

Friday, 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

Wednesday, 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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Youth-Inspired Efforts to Fight Hunger

Friday, 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

Tuesday, 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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A Renewed Commitment to Fighting Childhood Hunger

Monday, January 31st, 2011

It seems unimaginable that there are children in our country that do not know where their next meal will come from. But it is a fact that 1 in 4 children in the United States don’t have access to nutritious meals that they need to grow, learn and succeed. This is why Sodexo has provided more than 2.5 million free summer lunches to children since 1997 and the Sodexo Foundation has been fighting hard to alleviate hunger since 1999.

Today, our Foundation had the pleasure of announcing its renewed commitment to fighting hunger at a summer meals summit in Baltimore with the Governor’s Office for Children. As Gaithersburg, Maryland is home to our North America headquarters, we were honored to share how Sodexo will help Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley meet the strategic goal of ending childhood hunger in Maryland by 2015.Now, I’m proud to share with you that the Sodexo Foundation has made a commitment to provide $20 million in grants and in-kind donations to support and create new, innovative approaches and solutions to ensure the 17 million children in the United States facing hunger grow up with dependable access to nutritious food to lead healthy, productive lives.Building on more than 10 years in the fight against hunger, we will increase our impact by partnering with Share Our Strength and YSA (Youth Service America) to help fund more summer meals programs like Feeding Our Future®, engage youth nationwide to join the fight and provide special grants to youth, non-profit organizations and schools.We’ll continue to focus our efforts nationally, but we will also deepen our No Kid Hungry by 2015 impact through increased funding for summer meals programs in Maryland, Virginia and Florida. Currently, 207,000 children face hunger in Maryland, only 18 percent of eligible Virginia kids participate in summer meal programs and Florida ranks 29th in the U.S. for summer meals participation. Our goal is to help these states, and others across the nation, ensure all kids have access to nutritious food where they live, learn and play.Our new commitment  will take us beyond summer meals, as we aim to engage young people to lean about hunger and poverty, and mobilize them to volunteer their time and have a direct impact in their community. I welcome your thoughts and ideas for what we should include in an online youth action center that will be developed to educate elementary, middle and high school students about hunger and poverty.Sodexo and the Sodexo Foundation will also continue to support new and existing programs including offering services such as training with our chefs to teach families how to cook easy, nutritious meals; recognizing and rewarding students who have made a significant impact in the fight against hunger with our Sodexo Foundation STOP Hunger Scholarships program; and volunteering thousands of hours each year in local food banks including our annual Sodexo Servathon.As president of the Sodexo Foundation, I take hunger personally and look forward to this next phase of achievement and working together with you, our partners and the youth of America to have an even greater impact as we fight to end childhood hunger.Steve Brady is president of the Sodexo Foundation.

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