Sodexo Volunteers Cook-out for Local Veterans

HINES, Ill., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- As families across the country fire up their grills in celebration of the memorial day weekend, two local volunteers from Sodexo, Inc., world leader in Quality of Daily Life solutions, will make certain that the veterans we celebrate are not overlooked. On Sunday, May 30 at 5:00 p.m. Chef Michael Troehler and General Manager Teresa Byrne will make their third visit to Hines VA Cook's Manor, where they will serve vets who once served the nation.

Located at 5th Avenue and Roosevelt Road, Building 14, Hines Illinois, the in-residence program for veterans at Hines VA Cook's Manor is run by Catholic Charities, with Father Bulwith as Chaplin. The vets here go through a two-year program to get them back on their feet, receiving medical attention, rehabilitation for substance abuse, and assistance with job placement.

"I count it as a personal honor to be able to do this for our veterans," said Chef Michael Troehler of Sodexo's Corporate Service Solutions. "Too many of us pass the entire Memorial Day weekend, without so much as a thought about the people it was intended to recognize. I would like to see more people spend a few hours of their time in ways like this with our veterans. Regardless of their age, era of service or personal struggle, they need to know that we appreciate them."

Cooking on a custom-designed trailer grill built from two 55-gallon drums, Chef Troehler will offer the vets who reside there a feast worthy of their service. They will enjoy grilled 8 oz New York steaks, corn on the cob, baked potatoes with sour cream and butter, dinner salad and rolls, and cherry pie or apple pie ala mode for dessert.  

Working alongside Chef Troehler is Teresa Byrne, general manager for Sodexo's Corporate Service Solutions. Byrne was recognized as a 2009 Heroes of Everyday Life Award winner last June by the Sodexo Foundation, the anti-hunger charitable arm of Sodexo, Inc. Chef Troehler, was named this year as an Honorable Mention Hero for 2010.

"Participating in a Memorial Day cook-out for veterans just makes sense to me," notes Byrne. "We wouldn't have a birthday party without acknowledging the guest of honor, would we? It's one of the most effortless ways of giving back to the community that I can think of, and the gratitude expressed by these veterans makes it even more worthwhile."

To learn more about the Heroes of Everyday Life Award and the Sodexo Foundation visit www.sodexofoundation.org.

About Sodexo

Sodexo in North America

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), a member of Sodexo Group, is a leading provider of Comprehensive Service Solutions serving more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care, retirement, schools, higher education, government and remote sites. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., Sodexo, Inc. operates in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $7.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. The Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org) is an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $12.7 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.