Hunger Doesn't Take a Summer Break

When September rolls around, most kids grumble about heading back to school. But for the millions of children who rely on federally-funded meals at school, September means they’ll once again be guaranteed a nutritious, healthy lunch.

To fill that long gap between May and September, the Sodexo Foundation funds Feeding Our Future®. Since its launch in 1997, this summer feeding program has provided 2.5 million nutritious meals for under-nourished children who would otherwise go hungry during the summer months. Feeding Our Future is driven and supported by a great partnership between Sodexo, its clients, and local hunger relief organizations. This summer, we provided 325,000 lunches to kids in 21 metropolitan areas from Boston to Honolulu.

Take a look at some of Summer 2010’s Feeding Our Future successes.

Take Action During Hunger Action Month

While September is already underway, you still have plenty of time to get involved in Hunger Action Month and have your share of fun while helping your neighbors at risk. The 30-day event, spearheaded by Feeding America, attracted the support of millions of Americans each of the past two years.

You’ll find an interactive calendar of Hunger Action Month events for September at hungeractionmonth.org. The online calendar is chock full of ideas to raise awareness and money in your city or town. The site also has an entertaining series of celebrity videos from well-known performers who have joined the cause.

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Sodexo Foundation Offers Insight on Hunger in U.S.

To coincide with Hunger Action Month, USA Today produced a Media Planet supplement offering insight into combating hunger from organizations spanning American business, non-profits, and community groups. Sodexo Foundation President Stephen J. Brady participated with a panel of experts that included former U.S. Senator George McGovern and representatives from Wal-Mart and AARP.

When asked why Sodexo has taken a proactive leadership role in alleviating hunger, Brady replied, "...as a world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions, we serve nutritious meals to millions of people everyday...in schools across the nation. We see this issue first hand and believe that we can impact the quality of life for our nation's children by working to end hunger." Brady also provided important tips for readers on a budget on feeding their families and discussed the many volunteer opportunities for readers looking to make a difference.

Congress Takes Next Steps with "Hunger-Free Kids Act"

Congressional debate continued over the summer on the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, now known as the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act", to reflect the Obama administration’s goal of eradicating childhood hunger by 2015.

With strong bi-partisan support, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the bill in August, taking the country one step closer to improving existing anti-hunger programs for children. The bill expands investments in the critical area of improving nutrition, while simplifying enrollment in free school meals and expanding after-school meal distribution.