Sodexo Foundation Announces Application Period for 2014 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarships

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodexo Foundation today announced that the application period for the 2014 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship program opens October 5 and closes December 5, 2013.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130924/NE85324 )

According to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 49 million people living in the U.S. are at risk of hunger, nearly 16 million of which are children. Each year, Sodexo Foundation recognizes youth initiatives that work to improve the quality of life for children and families who are impacted by hunger in their local communities.

"Youth volunteers contribute more than 1.3 billion hours of community service each year," said Robert A. Stern, chair, Sodexo Foundation. "While all of their work is vitally important, Sodexo Foundation especially honors the service of those emerging youth leaders who are mobilizing peers and creating innovative solutions to end hunger."

Up to five national scholarship recipients will be selected based on their ongoing work to fight hunger, with each receiving a $5,000 scholarship and a matching $5,000 grant for their anti-hunger charity of choice. Sodexo Foundation will also recognize up to 20 STOP Hunger Regional Honorees with a $1,000 donation for their preferred hunger-relief charities.

To date, Sodexo Foundation has recognized 110 STOP Hunger Regional Honorees with grants totaling $110,000 for their hunger-relief charities. In addition, it has awarded 35 national scholarship recipients with $310,000 in scholarships and matching grants for the hunger-relief charities of their choice. To be eligible, students must be enrolled in an accredited education institution (kindergarten through graduate school) in the United States and be able to demonstrate an enduring commitment to hunger-relief activities in their community.

The deadline for 2014 applications is December 5, 2013. The 2014 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship recipients will be announced on June 9, 2014 at the 15th Annual Sodexo Foundation Dinner. For complete details and to apply, please visit the "Scholarships" page at www.SodexoFoundation.org.

Visit Sodexo Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @STOPHungerUSA.

Sodexo in North America
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Life services company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On-site Services in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $20 million in grants to end childhood hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at blogs.sodexousa.com.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.