Twentieth Annual Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Awards Dinner Celebrates Students' and Sodexo Employees' Innovative Actions to End Hunger

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night at its annual awards dinner, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation honored students and Sodexo employees who are making a difference in their communities by working to achieve the goal of zero hunger by 2030. In a nod to the 20^th year, the Foundation shared 20 Actions To Stop Hunger while also highlighting the youth-led initiatives of members of Generation Z  whose activism, big dreams and go-getter approach make them the generation to end hunger. 

"We believe that getting to zero hunger in the U.S. is an achievable goal. With relief for those in need and work toward preventing food insecurity in the first place, we can end this," explained Gerri Mason Hall, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation chair and chief human resources officer, Sodexo North America. "We quickly saw the results of investing in innovative youth-designed and youth-led solutions to hunger, and our commitment has grown," she added.

Five students were honored with the Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship, which recognizes students who drive awareness and mobilize youth to be catalysts for innovative models that provide solutions to eliminate hunger in America. Over time, the scholarship awardees have comprised a wide variety of students, ages five to 25. Five are recognized at the national level and receive a $5,000 grant and $5,000 scholarship. An additional 20 scholars are awarded at the regional level with a $1,000 grant. Since the program's inception in 2007, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has awarded more than $800,000 in grants and scholarships.

The Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholars for 2019 are:

• Lauryn Hinckley, age 19, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. (hometown: Bismarck, N.D.)
• Korbin Leddy, age 15, Milbank High School, Milbank, S.D.
• Nicholas Metropulos, age 20, Hellenic College, Brookline, Mass. (hometown: Boca Raton, Fla.)
• Roark Sizemore, age 21, West Virginia University, Morgantown, W. Va.
• Shreyaa Venkat, age 16, Broad Run High School, Ashburn, Va.

In honor of its 20th awards dinner milestone, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has created the Generation Zero Hunger Fund and will match every dollar donated (up to $20,000), providing additional support for the youth leaders of Generation Zero Hunger to accelerate their impact. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/GenZFund to learn more and donate. 

View a video interview with the 2019 Stop Hunger Scholars about the impact the Generation Zero Hunger Fund will have on their efforts to end hunger.

Five Sodexo employees received The Heroes of Everyday Life award which annually highlights employees who invest their time, talent and resources to help some of the 42 million people at risk of hunger in the U.S. Collectively they raise awareness, raise funds, coordinate food drives, volunteer in food pantries, support food recovery programs, and teach nutrition education and healthy cooking skills. Each Hero receives a $5,000 grant to support a hunger-related charity.  

The 2019 Heroes of Everyday Life are:

• Abdou Cole, Sodexo District Manager, University of Pittsburgh
• Ben Hartley, Sodexo Resident District Manager, Northern Arizona University
• Steven Quintern, Sodexo Environmental Services Manager, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Wendy Smith, Sodexo Clinical Nutrition Manager, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
• Francine Walter, Sodexo Finance Administrator, Keiser University

Sodexo Stop Hunger 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. Visit Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @StopHungerUSA.

About Sodexo North America
Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 72 countries. Sodexo is a leading provider of integrated food, facilities management and other services that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life for millions of customers in corporate, education, healthcare, senior living, sports and leisure, government and other environments daily. The company employs 160,000 people at 13,000 sites in all 50 U.S. states and Canada, and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs through its annual purchases of $19 billion in goods and services from small to large businesses. Sodexo is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion and safety, while upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility and ethical business conduct. In support of local communities across the U.S., in 2018, Sodexo contributed over 159,500 in volunteer hours, and since 1996, the Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed nearly $34.5 million to help feed children in America impacted by hunger. To learn more about Sodexo, visit us.sodexo.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Contact:  Laurie Goldstein, [email protected], 301-252-4553

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