Sodexo Inspires Individuals and Corporations to Give Back to Communities; Highlighting Impact of Programs to Stop Hunger

Sodexo Draws Attention to Volunteerism, Philanthropy in Honor of MLK Jr. National Day of Service

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ — With its mission to improve the quality of daily life, Sodexo, a global leader in integrated foodservice and facilities management, focuses its corporate philanthropic efforts to ease the cycle of hunger and malnutrition that impacts almost a billion people worldwide. The impact of that work has been felt nationwide this year, and has been captured as part of an inspirational new book released recently. Sodexo’s commitment is echoed nationwide this week as thousands of organizations come together for the National Day of Service on January 19, also Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s observed birthday.

The National Day of Service, which started in 1994, occurs this year just one day before the Presidential Inauguration. The President-elect has called for all Americans to volunteer for thousands of community service projects in order to help realize Dr. King’s dream of a better America.

Sodexo’s global hunger-related programs are highlighted in a chapter about corporate giving in the new book Do Your Giving While You Are Living: Inspirational Lessons on What You Can Do Today to Make A Difference Tomorrow (Morgan James Publishing 2009), which is authored by Edie Fraser, diversity and philanthropic leader, and Robyn Spizman, national television and radio personality and a bestselling author.

In the book, Sodexo’s global CEO, Michel Landel, describes how Sodexo’s commitment to hunger issues is embedded deeply into the culture of Sodexo. “As a service organization, it is natural that we have a culture that is focused on how to make life better for the 50 million customers we serve every day,” he said. “We have expanded this commitment beyond Sodexo’s day to day business — Sodexo’s workforce actively engages in local communities to help stop hunger and its root causes.”

The company’s global service and philanthropic commitment are embodied in the U.S. through the work of the Sodexo Foundation. Here, the company’s 110,000 employees participate in programs such as Feeding Our Future, a program in which Sodexo employees volunteer their time to prepare and serve meals for children in poverty who don’t have access to nutritious meals while school is not in session. In 2008, Sodexo employees fed 342,000 children in 20 U.S. cities through this program.

“More than 36 million people in the U.S. are at risk of hunger today,” said Stephen J. Brady, president of the Sodexo Foundation. “The numbers are increasing as the economy continues to cause difficulties for millions of families. Sodexo encourages all Americans to do their part to fight hunger and its root causes by giving — not only money — but of your time to help create a hunger-free nation for future generations.”

The Sodexo Foundation makes grants to fight hunger in America. Further, the Foundation is committed to creating the next generation of hunger activists through its STOP Hunger Scholarship program, which provides $5,000 scholarship grants for students (kindergarten through graduate school) who are making a difference in the fight against hunger.

For more information about these and other programs, please visit www.SodexoFoundation.org. For more information about the book, and to purchase, please visit www.DoYourGiving.com. The book also can be purchased at Amazon.com. For more information about the National Day of Service, please visit www.mlkday.gov.

Sodexo, Inc.

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com) is a leading integrated facilities management services company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with $7.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. Sodexo serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government, and remote sites. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a member of Sodexo Group, and funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation.

The Sodexo Foundation

The Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org) is the charitable arm of Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com) and is committed to being a driving and creative force that contributes to a hunger-free nation. The Sodexo Foundation supports innovative programs to help children and families in the United States who are battling problems such as poverty, unemployment, lack of education and food insecurity. Programs that the Foundation supports range from nutrition programs for children to job training for adults and affordable housing for families. Since its founding in 1999, the Foundation has made more than $11 million in grants to fight hunger and its root causes in America.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.