Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Announces its 2021 Award Recipients
Five Students and Five Sodexo Employees Recognized for Fighting Hunger in their Communities
July 20, 2021 (Gaithersburg, Md.) – The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation announced today its 2021 Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholars and Heroes of Everyday Life®. Five students and five Sodexo employees will receive a $5,000 grant to continue their work to fight food insecurity within their communities.
“For more than two decades, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has been integral in working to end childhood hunger with the help of youth-led initiatives, including those implemented by the Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholars,” said Joan McGlockton, Chair of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and Associate General Counsel, Corporate Affairs, Sodexo. “We are so proud of these efforts which feeds into our larger strategy of ending childhood hunger by 2030.”
The Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholars for 2021 are:
- Samantha Kopec, Co-Founder of Feeding the Fosters, Rising College Freshman, Clearwater, FL – Samantha will utilize the $5,000 grant award to secure additional resources for a communal kitchen.
- Akshara Shankar, Founder of Many Hands Food Pantry, Rising College Freshman, Holliston, MA – Akshara will utilize the $5,000 grant award to continue expanding Many Hands Food Pantry.
- Gabriel Silverman, Co-Founder of I Heart Hungry Kids, Rising Ninth Grader, Johns Island, SC – Gabriel will utilize the $5,000 grant award to digitize and improve I Heart Hungry Kid’s training and technology systems to grow their efforts statewide.
- Abigail Yoon, Founder of the Sustainable Hunger Initiative, Rising College Freshman, Greenville, NC – Abigail will utilize the $5,000 grant award to further support Love a Sea Turtle (LAST) and community gardening and sustainability initiatives.
- Shirley Zhu, Founder of Fresh Hub, Rising College Freshman, Houston, TX – Shirley will utilize the $5,000 grant award to further her nonprofit partnerships at Fresh Hub and expand nutritional programming.
The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation also awards Sodexo employees investing time, talent, and resources to fight hunger in their communities. These employees, recognized as Heroes of Everyday Life®, are honored specifically for raising funds and awareness, coordinating food drives, volunteering in food pantries, and supporting food recovery programs among other outreach.
“Every year, we honor an extraordinary group of employees who go above and beyond in working to end childhood hunger,” said Roxanne Moore, Executive Director, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation. “This year is no exception – congratulations and thank you to David, Debbie, Patricia, Tijuana, and Warren.”
The 2021 Heroes of Everyday Life® are:
- Warren Bates, General Manager, Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, Elkin, NC – Warren is the Board President of the Tri-County Christian Crisis Ministry, a program that has distributed more than 200,000 pounds of food to community members in the past year. He also organized the Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital's "Souper" Bowl event, where employees donated homemade crock pots of soups, stews, and chilis. He will use the $5,000 grant from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to support the Tri-County Christian Crisis Ministry.
- David Harr, General Manager, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH – David has managed the University of Findlay's Helping Hands Food Drive for the past 15 years and now manages more than 150,000 pounds of food annually. He will use the $5,000 grant from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to support the CHOPIN Hall feeding program in Findlay, OH.
- Debbie Harris, First Cook, Catering Assistant, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT – Debbie is a volunteer with Helping Our People Excel (H.O.P.E., Inc.), working job fairs, collecting food bank supplies, and supporting any other services needed by the community. She will use the $5,000 grant from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to support the H.O.P.E. feeding program in Windsor, CT.
- Patricia (Patty) Graves, General Manager, Lincoln County School District, Toledo, OR – Patty is passionate about helping to mitigate food insecurity for children and their families. She volunteers with the Toledo Rotary Club and Lincoln County Foundation Scholarship Board and coordinates the Joy Program (Job Opportunities for Youth) workforce development training to help teach young people how to volunteer and expand the food pantry program. She will use the $5,000 grant from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to support the Lincoln County School District.
- Tijuana (Tia) Nichols, Building Manager, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, IL – Tia is a volunteer with “Feed My People” where she uses her kitchen to cook and distribute meals throughout the community. Additionally, Tia has contributed $300 each month to her church community food program. She will use the $5,000 grant from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to support the Work Boots nonprofit in Chicago, IL.
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. In addition to awarding grants to youth scholars and employees, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation provides contributions to several national and local non-profits helping to end hunger, engages Sodexo employees in community volunteerism and supports programs that help empower women. Visit Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @StopHungerUSA and Instagram @sodexostophunger.