Government Stimulus Boosts Food Stamp Benefits

Anyone following the soaring rate of Food Stamp use in this country over the last year wasn’t surprised to learn that the U.S. was in a recession. As of January 2009, more than 30 million Americans were receiving Food Stamps (now known as SNAP -- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)—near record numbers not seen since post-Katrina in 2005.

April is a Month of Service with Sodexo Servathon

When Sodexo launched its first Servathon in 1996 as part of the company’s STOP Hunger initiative, America was enjoying a period of relative economic vitality. Unemployment was 5.4%, the housing market was booming, and, while more than 10 million Americans were deemed “food insecure” , the issue was low on most people’s radar screens. That first year, thousands of Sodexo employees nationwide devoted a single day to community service, volunteering at food banks, shelters, and other hunger-relief organizations.

Fast forward to 2009 and hunger—in the U.S. and around the world—is an all too familiar concern for close to a billion at risk people. And the Sodexo Servathon has never been more relevant or vital. Now in its 13th year, the Servathon has expanded far beyond its one-day length and domestic focus. The entire month of April is devoted to Servathon at Sodexo accounts worldwide. (Watch our video on Sodexo USA’s Servathon efforts)

Sodexo Foundation Impact Report 2008

The Sodexo Foundation was established in 1999 with a mission to be a driving and creative force that contributes to a hunger-free nation. Since our founding we have provided $11 million in grants to organizations and initiatives that fight hunger and its root causes. With the United States in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the Foundation worked hard to maintain and even expand funding to grant recipients and our own initiatives.

In 2008, thanks to the contributions of many individuals and companies, the Sodexo Foundation provided more than $1.85M in grants to 127 hunger-related organizations. Sodexo, Inc. continues to cover all administrative expenses of the Foundation, empowering us to utilize 100% of donated funds directly for grants to have the greatest impact on those in need.

Fighting the Recession one Row at a Time

As the cold, hard ground softens and tender seedlings make their first tentative appearance, gardeners everywhere rejoice in the coming of spring. Americans have a long tradition of digging in the dirt, and a small backyard garden is a source of pride for millions of us. But with the economy in recession and the cost of food a daily concern, gardening is also a source of healthy and inexpensive food.

According to the National Gardening Association, the number of homes growing vegetables will jump more than 40% this year compared with just two years ago. "As the economy goes down, food gardening goes up," says Bruce Butterfield, the group's research director. "We haven't seen this kind of spike in 30 years."

For some gardeners, planting a garden is a way to fight hunger no matter what the state of the economy. Last year more than 25,000 gardeners donated over 1.4 million pounds of food to feed the hungry as part of the Plant A Row (PAR) for the Hungry campaign.