So many people suffer from hunger and its effects – in this country alone, 49 million people lack food security, 17 million of whom are children. The problem is so widespread that Sodexo has an entire foundation dedicated to fighting hunger. For most people, the problem is a bit daunting: they’re not even sure where to start to help. But for one woman, her small idea to fight hunger grew into a larger movement. Check out her story.

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For students, that is especially true. Breakfast can boost a student’s immune system and academic performance. Federally subsidized breakfasts are one way to try to provide for students who otherwise might not get that important meal. But what about when students are embarrassed to be seen taking this free meal? Sodexo worked with one school district to get around that perceived stigma.

Take a look at the story on the Atlanta Public Schools and see how they work with Sodexo to handle federally funded breakfasts.

It seems they’re everywhere at this time of year: doe-eyed innocents with sad stories asking for money to help. Not only are they intercepting you outside many of the stores you visit, they’re also in your email inbox, asking for help. Sure, we all know better than to give our life’s savings to the Nigerian prince (we do all know that’s a scam, don’t we?), but how can you tell if the others are legit? The best bet is to trust your gut – charities that seem too eager for your money or who will accept only cash ought to raise red flags for you. If you receive a call soliciting donations, be sure to ask what percentage of donations actually goes to the charity.  Some organizations raise money but only pass on a small portion (15 percent) to the charity. Check out how much the charity spends on helping others and how much it spends on administration, salaries, etc.  For instance, the Sodexo Foundation has no administrative charges, since the company pays for all cost of operation and all donations go directly to people in need.

Scammers have gotten more sophisticated – especially online – and some basic precautionary actions can help keep you from getting scammed.

Be sure the charity address is legitimate. Scammers can “spoof” a charity’s Web site, or use urls that are similar to the legitimate organization but not exact, so type the full name of the organization into a search engine such as Google, and make sure the Web site name that pops up matches the one asking you for money.

Be careful of “phishing,” in which a popup window opens while you’re on the Internet and asks for money.

If you do decide to give money, make sure that the site asking for your personal information is encrypted – the site should have an https address rather than an http address, like the Sodexo Foundation donation page does, since the “s” means it is a secure site.

Finally, if you are at all uncertain whether the solicitation is genuine, call the charity itself. No legitimate charity minds this kind of checking up.

If you are unfortunate enough to be scammed, be sure to report it to the Better Business Bureau; you also should check out the charity before making any donation.

Giving during the holidays is still important, especially when so many organizations are feeling the squeeze of the economy – just be sure you’re giving to an organization that will do some good with the money.

Kudos to the Washington Post for bringing attention to the complexities relating to childhood hunger in America. The article makes the important and often overlooked point that hunger ranges from those who are skipping meals and visibly undernourished, to the ‘silent epidemic’ of parents foregoing meals so their children may eat. This is the invisible face of hunger -- in addition to the one in four people standing on line at a food bank or soup kitchen who is under the age of eighteen. The problem of hunger in America is real. Fortunately there are solutions that are working. Recently the U.S. Conference of Mayors released a study on 24 successful programs to alleviate Childhood Hunger in America. The report identified four primary innovations these programs share. First, they build on existing programs, such as the National School Lunch Program, and existing infrastructure, such as Feeding America and food banks. Second, they provide guardians, parents and parents-to-be with the information they need to maximize the nutritional value of the meals they access. Third, these programs are providing meals to those in need at locations other than food banks to help reduce the stigma associated with them. And finally, these programs are providing children who rely on school-based meal programs with food for the weekend through backpacks and other take-home efforts.

Another successful strategy being used around the country is the School Breakfast Program.  Many educational facilities participate, but sadly many more do not, despite the fact that the program is federally funded.

It is time for our nation to take note of these many successful innovations and strengthen them, so we can end childhood hunger in America by 2015.

Imagine a country in such dire straits that half of its children wouldn’t get meals without government help. You may immediately have thought of some Third World country, but the startling fact is that almost half of the children in this country will be on food stamps at some point in their childhood. The number is even more shocking when you focus on African American children: 90 percent of them will be on food stamps at one point. Last week, a study was released that looked at 30 years of national data and warned that these numbers could get pushed even higher if the recession continues.

The study also cautioned pediatricians that they need to be on the lookout for illnesses related to malnutrition. That warning extends even to pediatricians in so-called “nice” neighborhoods, because the economic downturn has broadened the types of people who have had to turn to food stamps to feed their families. We know from a study funded by our foundation that children who eat breakfast perform in school better and have fewer hunger-related problems such as dizziness, lethargy, stomachaches and earaches. It’s not a stretch to say that pediatricians might start seeing an increase in these symptoms in a broader spectrum of their patients as economic woes spread.

In this type of economic climate, food banks play a crucial role in filling the gaps. This is why Sodexo founded and continues to sponsor our Helping Hands Across America program, a  month-long effort that encourages our employees and customers to collect non-perishable food items to fight hunger in their own communities. The effort culminates today – November 12 – when we all try to set a new world record for the “largest food drive by a non-charitable organization in a 24-hour period.” The Guinness Book of World Records will determine whether we set the record, but the current record to beat is 510,000 pounds of food collected.

The challenge to beat the record is a fun one, but the intent behind it is much more serious – to bring attention to the problem of hunger in this country, and to engage as many people as possible in trying to stop it

You can follow our progress or get involved by becoming a fan on Facebook or following @STOPhungerNov12 on twitter.

And, of course, you can help by bringing nonperishable food to your community food bank!