Posts Tagged ‘volunteerism’

A Taste of Youth Service

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

Chef Remmi Smith

Hi, I’m Remmi of Cook Time with Remmi. I believe every young person can make a difference by doing what they love to do! I’ve always loved being in the kitchen; I was helping out when I was only 4 years old! Now at the age of 13, I have my own cooking show, Cook Time with Remmi, and I’m comfortable cooking for myself and my family.

I hope that my cooking show and the recipes on my website get kids excited about cooking because I believe that cooking at home can help you eat healthier and save money. It’s important that kids learn to eat and cook nutritious meals early so that these habits can stay with them as adults too! And, cooking is a lot of fun―I promise! I have always wanted to be a cook star….and so can you!

My passion for talking to other kids about how easy (and yummy!) cooking and eating nutritiously can be led me to become Sodexo’s first-ever Student Ambassador to Health and Nutrition! Sodexo provides education solutions to nearly 500 school districts nationwide. Their STOP Hunger program enables Sodexo communities, including employees, consumers, clients and suppliers to join together to make a difference and end hunger.

Thanks to Sodexo Foundation, I can reach way more kids and get them as excited about healthy cooking and eating as I am.

The No Kid Hungry campaign teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals.

With my Sodexo Foundation Youth Grant, I’m hosting the No Kid Hungry Food Classic – Be a C.H.E.F. on Global Youth Service Day. The event is on April 27th at Metro Appliances and More in Tulsa, OK, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. I’ll be doing demos and cooking up some of my favorite dishes for you to sample, and I will be talking to everyone about the No Kid Hungry campaign!

We are also having Global Gardens at the event and they will be talking about how to grow your own garden too!

I couldn’t believe it when I found out that 1 in 5 children in the United States struggles with hunger. I want to help end childhood hunger, so I decided to use what I love to do to make a difference and raise awareness and funds for No Kid Hungry.

Along with connecting kids in need with nutritious food, the No Kid Hungry campaign teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals – something I love to do!

If you live in the Tulsa area, you should definitely come by! Be sure to bring canned food or a monetary donation to support Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and No Kid Hungry. But even if you don’t live in my area, you can still get involved! Cook Time with Remmi has lots of healthy recipes and fun videos from my cooking show. Check out NoKidHungry2.org for fun ways to help end childhood hunger.

I’m so excited for April 27th – hope to see you all there

Chef Remmi Smith is Sodexo’s Student Ambassador for Health and Nutrition.

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A Recipe for Ending Hunger

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

Mabel Hernandez

I’m an alchemist in the kitchen, making magic happen when I transform the simplest ingredients into something extraordinary.

One trick I don’t mind sharing is a recipe for making hunger disappear.

I add a dash of my passion for cooking and fold in a generous measure of nutrition awareness, drawing on my professional experience.

Getting it right didn’t happen overnight, however.

A few years ago when I was a student at the University of the District of Columbia, a representative of the Capital Area Food Bank came to one of our classes recruiting volunteers for Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters® program .

I love serving as nutrition instructor and class coordinator at the local food bank..

The program mission attracted me, but time passed, and despite receiving monthly e-mails asking to join a series, I never joined.

Several years later, while working as a community nutritionist at an outpatient clinic, a manager re-directed my attention to Cooking Matters®. Finally, I contacted the Capital Area Food Bank, made all the arrangements and our first Cooking Matters series began, with we me serving as nutrition instructor and class coordinator.

I fell in love with all aspects of the program, which uses simple concepts, easy, inexpensive recipes and involve the participant in cooking and learning nutrition concepts.

"Basic, accessible ingredients can become delicious, healthy meals." Photo courtesy of Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters®

Using that experience as a springboard, I went on to work with a group of parents and kids at one of the Catholic Charities sites in Washington D.C., which subsequently became a Cooking Matters satellite site.

My responsibilities grew to include recruiting volunteers, planning and implementing the classes, and purchasing the groceries, while working with a wonderful team of colleagues.

Looking back, I’ve noticed that participants were most “spellbound” or receptive to new information when they could see how basic, accessible ingredients can become delicious, healthy meals.

Proper nutrition improves the quality of life and health for families. Photo courtesy of Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters®

They take joy in knowing how to gain proper nutrition that improves the quality of life and health for their families, and communities.

Through Cooking Matters, I found a way to combine my two passions: food and nutrition in a way that empowers individuals to personally combat hunger.

The real trick, you see, is in recognizing an opportunity to leverage the skills you’ve developed to proudly serve your community.

I encourage you to get involved with Cooking Matters or any other initiative that will fuel your passion and help to end hunger. Don’t put it off. You never know how many lives you can touch by your efforts.

Mabel Hernandez, a licensed nutritionist, is a 2013 Sodexo Dietetic Intern, and a 2008 Graduate of the University of the District of Columbia. View this video to learn more information about Cooking Matters.

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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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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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Giving Back to the Communities We Serve

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

Dr. Rohini Anand, Ph.D

Sodexo’s annual Servathon brings together thousands of Sodexo employees to raise money, donate food, and serve meals in their local communities. This year I had the opportunity to participate in three very different Servathon events.  I joined Sodexo employees in Seattle at the Food Lifeline Food bank to pack cartons of corn – in one afternoon we packed over 77,000 lbs. of corn, a new record for the food bank! 

During that event I had the opportunity to meet Blaine Hirai, our partner from Hirai Farms, who donates over 1 Million pounds of locally grown produce every year. Most recently he donated 22,000 lbs. of potatoes to the Manna Food bank in Maryland.  Blaine also oversees the non-profit organization “Annie’s Fun” which was named for his mother and seeks to help those in need.  Annie’s Fun, in partnership with Sodexo, packed and donated 5 million pounds of food and rose over $100,000 for hunger relief.  Blaine, you are truly a champion for the hungry and it is an honor doing business with you! 

While I was in Seattle, the Sodexo Office of Diversity team was hosting its own Servathon event – a mini-food drive! While our office may not have a lot of people, everyone contributed and we were able to make a huge impact.  In just three days we compiled nearly 200 kid-friendly food items! 

The Sodexo Diversity & Inclusion team volunteering during Sodexo Servathon. Click on the photograph for a slide show of this worthwhile and rewarding event.

Most recently, the Office of Diversity team along with the Office of Sustainability joined forces with Women Who Care, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in need overcome hunger, domestic violence, homelessness and substance abuse. The Sodexo team spent a morning packing over 1,000 backpacks of food for local children at risk of hunger on the weekends. It was fantastic to step outside of our normal routine and make a contribution to the larger community.  Special thanks to Judith Clark and the Women Who Care staff for making our visit so memorable and impactful – you do amazing work and we were proud to be a part of it for the day!

Giving back to the communities we serve is so important – I am proud to be part of an organization that supports and encourages involvement at all levels in the fight against hunger!        

Dr. Rohini Anand is the senior vice president and global chief diversity officer at Sodexo.

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A Voice of Hope

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

For pictures of Julia's work, click here.

I felt so honored to be selected by Sodexo as one of its eight 2011 Heroes of Everyday Life® for my volunteer work. In return, my husband and I were able to travel to Washington, DC to share my experience with fellow colleagues and politicians alike. The entire experience blew us away. A high point of the trip was having a chance to visit Capitol Hill and share our stories of fighting hunger in our communities with our senate and congressional leaders.

The main event, the 12th Annual Sodexo Foundation Dinner, was nothing short of phenomenal. It was amazing to hear the stories of all the Sodexo Heroes of Everyday Life® and the Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship recipients, and how they are giving back to their communities. I was humbled by the generosity of all the vendors that donate to Sodexo Foundation. With their help, the foundation raised $1 million dollars to fight hunger in that one evening.

It was a great feeling to be up on stage and recognized in front of more than 930 people, but I would like to think of the award as an acknowledgement of the hard work done by volunteers at the Voice of Hope – an organization that provides the children of West Dallas with spiritual guidance and family support services including the delivery of food boxes. Of course, the greatest part of the entire experience is that the $5,000 grant I received will go to the hunger organization of my choice. I’m excited to say that it will go to the Voice of Hope.

The need for support provided by the Voice of Hope in West Dallas is ongoing, and this grant provides countless nutritious meals for youth and their families in that community.

I would like to thank Sodexo Foundation for this grant which will go a long way in fighting hunger in the West Dallas community. I feel honored to be a part of Sodexo’s STOP Hunger Initiative, and now that the nomination period is open for 2012 Heroes of Every Day Life, I encourage managers, friends and family members to turn the spotlight onto the work of new Sodexo Heroes. So many are doing so much to feed our children and their work is also worthy of recognition.

Julia Pipkins is senior instructional designer for Sodexo University. She has helped over 700 low-income families through her own initiative and her work with the Voice of Hope.. If you know of a Sodexo employee doing amazing work in fighting hunger, they could be chosen to be one of Sodexo’s Heroes of Everyday Life®. Click here for more information.

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