Sodexo Foundation Recognizes Student and Sodexo Employee Volunteers for Achievements in Fighting Hunger in America

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodexo Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission to end childhood hunger, recognizes five Sodexo employees today as Heroes of Everyday Life^® and five students as national Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship recipients for their exemplary efforts to fight hunger in America. The honorees will be formally recognized at the 13th Annual Sodexo Foundation Dinner in Washington, D.C., each presented with a $5,000 grant awarded in their name to the hunger-related charity of the honoree's choice. In addition, the recognized students will receive a matching $5,000 college scholarship.

"The group we honor today represents an intergenerational approach to ending hunger," said Robert A. Stern, chair, Sodexo Foundation. "They are an example to us all in the way that they take hunger personally, understanding that it not only affects a growing population—it affects us all."

Sodexo Foundation 2012 Heroes of Everyday Life are: Lana M. Kruse of Lake St. Louis, Mo., Diana L. Messett of Mt. Airy, Md., Karen A. Peloquin of Douglas, Mass., Phyll Dondis Ribakoff of Weston, Mass. and Cynthia L. Steele of Columbia, S.C. Sodexo Foundation recognizes Sodexo employees who invest their time, talent and service spirit in helping those at-risk of hunger in the United States.

The 2012 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship recipients are: Peyton Medick of Weston, Wis. (8th grader), Alexander Epstein of New York, N.Y. (college junior), Rebecca Fawns of Corvallis, Mont. (high school senior), Camille Posard of Encinitas, Calif. (high school senior) and Ruthi Solari of Solana Beach, Calif. (graduate student). In addition to the national scholarship recipients, 20 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Regional Honorees will each receive a $1,000 grant in their name to support the hunger-related charity of their choice.

The Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship is named for Sodexo Foundation's founder and former president, who was an unstoppable champion in the fight to end hunger. Thanks to Steve's efforts, which made these scholarships possible, an emerging generation of leaders now joins the fight against hunger. To date, Sodexo Foundation has recognized 90 STOP Hunger Regional Honorees with grants totaling $90,000 for their hunger-relief charities. In addition, it has awarded 30 students with $260,000 in scholarships and matching grants for the hunger-relief charities of their choice.

For the second year running, the Sodexo Foundation Dinner will raise in excess of $1 million to support the foundation's numerous programs geared toward fighting hunger and mobilizing youth in the fight against childhood hunger in the U.S. Vendor partners and non-profit organizations also will be in attendance. It is the steadfast support from this audience that makes the dinner a success each year.

Jennie-O Turkey Store was recognized as the dinner's 2012 Hunger Champion for its $50,000 sponsorship and Washington D.C. law firm Hunton & Williams was recognized as the first Sodexo Foundation Dinner attendee to sponsor at the new Chairman level of $25,000.

"It's personally fulfilling to work for a socially responsible company," said Mark Nellermoe, vice president, foodservice, Jennie-O Turkey Store. "It is a great honor to represent Jennie-O Turkey Store as Sodexo Foundation's 2012 Hunger Champion and to collaborate with like-minded companies like Sodexo to solve hunger in our country."

For more information and a complete list of national and regional Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholars and Sodexo Foundation Heroes of Everyday Life visit www.SodexoFoundation.org.

ABOUT SODEXO'S FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER

Sodexo Inc. and Sodexo Foundation work to help end hunger in the United States. Sodexo Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission to end childhood hunger. The 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. Sodexo Foundation cultivates and maintains strategic partnerships with regional and national hunger relief entities and youth mobilization organizations—all part of Sodexo's STOP Hunger Initiative, its global program to end hunger and malnutrition in the communities where it operates. Sodexo is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md. and funds all administrative costs for Sodexo Foundation, which since 1999 has made more than $17 million in grants to end childhood hunger. Visit www.SodexoFoundation.org for more information.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.