Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Recognizes Students and Sodexo Employees Who Are Fighting Hunger in Their Local Communities

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Sodexo Stop  Foundation announced five students as national Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship honorees and recognized five Sodexo employees as Heroes of Everyday Life® for their efforts in leading the fight against hunger in their local communities.

The Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship program recognizes students who drive awareness and mobilize youth to be catalysts for innovative models that provide solutions to eliminate hunger in America. The scholarship awardees comprise a wide variety of students, ages 5 to 25, who are recognized at the national and regional level and hail from all across the country. Since the program's inception in 2007, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has awarded close to $700,000 in grants and scholarships.

The Heroes of Everyday Life program 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 soup kitchens, support food recovery programs, and teach nutrition education and healthy cooking skills.

"The student scholars and employees we are recognizing truly embody the work we do at the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to ensure every child has access to nutritious food," said Robert A. Stern, President, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation. "They are the epitome of the fight to end hunger, and remind us that we have a shared responsibility to the millions of children in America who struggle with hunger every day."

The five national 2017 Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger scholars (AKA, The 2017 Hunger Squad) are:

• Sophie Edwards, age 14, Marietta, Ga.
• Robert Alex Eimers, age 15, New Haven, Mich.
• Jack Griffin, age 19, Duluth, Ga.
• Brooke Mackenzie Hinson, age 13, Mt. Olive, N.C.
• Shiaoching Tse, age 18, Apex, N.C.

The 2017 Hunger Squad is competing for an additional $5,000 to further their efforts. The competition begins at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 12th. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 19th. The winner will be announced on Tuesday. Anyone can vote once a day. Visit tinyurl.com/hungersquad to vote for your favorite Hunger Squad Member.

The five 2017 Sodexo Heroes of Everyday Life are:

• Sandi Brownell, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, N.H.
• David Grant, Framingham State University, Framingham, Mass.
• Rose Paul, Katten Muchin Rosenman, New York, N.Y.
• Vicki Rolph, Concordia University, Portland, Ore.
• Laura Spicer, Bridgewater Retirement Community, Bridgewater, Va.

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.

Sodexo in North America
Sodexo USA is an American business that is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 80 countries. Delivering more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life, Sodexo is a leading provider of sustainable, integrated facilities management and food service operations. It employs 123,000 Americans at 12,500 sites across the country and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional U.S. jobs through its annual purchases of $9.2 billion in goods and services from small to large American businesses. In support of local communities across the U.S., Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed more than $29 million since 1999 to help children in America impacted by hunger.

Learn more about Sodexo at its corporate blog, Sodexo Insights.

SOURCE Sodexo