2011 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship Recipients
The Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarships, a program of the Sodexo Foundation, recognizes the following students who are driving awareness and mobilizing youth to be catalysts for innovative models and solutions to eliminate hunger in America.
| Amy and Emma Bushman, Cincinnati, OH
Fourth Graders at Sherwood Elementary School Amy and Emma have been volunteering since they were just four years old. They first started at Bethany House Homeless Shelter with their mom and, each birthday, requested toys or donated food for the shelter in lieu of gifts. Inspired by the families they met and their love of baking, Amy and Emma decided to start their own non-profit organization, Bake Me Home. Every month, Bake Me Home organizes at their local church to fill jars of cookie mix and tote bags of baking supplies with a gift card for families moving out of the shelter. Amy and Emma want families to be able to celebrate their move with the fun of baking homemade cookies together. To date, Bake Me Home has over 100 volunteers, has raised more than $35,000 and helps more than 200 families every year. Amy and Emma say, “We might only be ten, but we plan to keep running Bake Me Home with our kids when we grow up.” View Amy's and Emma's story. |
| Jonathan Crider, Lawton, OK
Junior at Central High School Jonathan has been spreading awareness for childhood hunger for the past five years. His signature event is the Lawton Food For Kids Rock-A-Thon which rallies the entire community to fundraise for the Lawton Food For Kids organization and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Jonathan manages all aspects of the large community event, securing prizes, enrolling teams, delivering food, gaining media attention and cleaning up after the all-day event. Jonathan's Rock-A-Thons have raised over $45,000 for Food For Kids and helped provide backpacks filled with kid-friendly food to more than 350 children for the entire school year. Jonathan was also a STOP Hunger Regional Honoree in 2010. His biggest message to kids his age is that, “You are not too young to do something. Every person counts!” View Jonathan's story. |
| Erika Ferguson, Northfield, NJ
Freshman at UNC - Chapel Hill Erika Ferguson has been dedicated to eradicating hunger since witnessing the plight of Atlantic City's impoverished in 2007. She has devoted her time over several years to grant writing and fundraising, leading her volunteer program manager to call her “self-sacrificing” and a “true leader.” Her work with the Atlantic City Rescue Mission Farm Project brought the farm a $2,500 Clifford BIG grant and dozens of youth volunteers helping the farm to harvest nearly 50,000 pounds of fresh produce for the Mission's clients. An Economics and Peace, War, and Defense double major, Erika hopes to join the Peace Corps for two years and ultimately eliminate hunger through urban farming initiatives and other programs. Erika was also a STOP Hunger Regional Honoree in 2010. Erika says that what drives her mission is the belief that, “Everyone deserves a healthy life, food, and shelter.” |
| Nicole P. Muller, Charlottesville, VA
Senior at Western Albemarle Shocked by a news headline that stated, “30,000 individuals in her community needed food bank assistance every month,” Nicole jumped at the chance to help solve her community's food shortage problem. She successfully collected 220 pounds of food from her 12 neighbors to feed 178 people. Shortly after, Nicole founded the Neighbors-4-Neighbors national food drive; she wrote friends, family, senators, governors, mayors, and congressmen across the country asking them to donate food and encourage others to donate as well. Since the program's inception 18 months ago, Neighbors-4-Neighbors has collected 145,000 pounds of food and more than $20,000, providing meals for more than 100,000 people. Nicole shares, “I have learned the power of commitment and perseverance, and the invaluable lesson that with belief, support from others, and dedication, no goal is unobtainable.” |
| Travis Robinson, Taneytown, MD
Freshman at University of Maryland - Baltimore County After being exposed to the large number of hungry people in his community, Travis implemented regular food drives outside his local Walmart and at school. Since 2007, Travis has helped raise the equivalent of more than 31,000 pounds of food for Carroll County Food Sunday. His efforts have helped provide food to thousands of people. Additionally, Travis organizes pet food and supply drives, collecting 10,400 pounds for Carroll Pets in Need Campaign, a program that helps people in the community keep their family pets they cannot afford to feed. Travis is praised for his dedication to helping Carroll County Food Sunday maintain food security in the community. Travis was also a STOP Hunger Regional Honoree in 2010. According to Travis, you can do well by doing good: “Not only did I help thousands in my community, but I grew into a responsible young adult by doing so. I learned one person can make a huge difference in their community. |
