Kellie Kinsella

Until going to college, I had never truly understood the value of education.  Going to school was something that I knew had to do every day because that’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re a kid.  Right?  Throughout elementary school, junior high, and high school, I always took for granted the information that was taught or the experiences that were provided to me on a regular basis.   Going to college made me realize that receiving a quality education is not something that is a right, but rather a privilege. The opportunities that I am given at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign astound me with each day that I continue to be a student. 

The experiences that I have received for the past two years learning about interesting topics in the classroom, forcing myself to collaborate on group projects with people I barely know, and becoming active in my sorority, have been ones that could not be obtained anywhere else. 

Even something so trivial as living in a dorm room with people your own age has taught me how to take care of myself without my mom or dad telling me to finish my homework or how to separate my whites from my darks.  With each day that I am here, I feel more and more prepared for what’s to come in the real world.

However, getting the opportunity to study at a campus as phenomenal as this one would not be possible without the monetary support that I have received from Sodexo.  Financing my higher education in this economy has been quite a challenge.  I cannot express my gratitude to Sodexo enough for helping me to take full advantage of my educational privilege.  Not only are they helping to pay the bills, but the encouragement from an organization that shares the same values about fighting hunger in the world as I do, helps me to know that my goals and dreams are realistic. 

The more education that I can receive, the more equipped I will be to continue the hunger fight and start solving problems. Thank you to Sodexo for making my higher educational experience possible.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Kellie wrote this blog as part American Education Week, which emphasizes the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education. Kellie is attending the University of Illinois thanks in part to a STOP Hunger Scholarship from the Sodexo Foundation. She was selected because of the outstanding work she already has done to stop hunger. Read more about Kellie’s efforts to stop hunger.

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!

The most recent government figures confirm the distressing news that most of us already know: the poverty rate is rising. We used to think we knew what the face of poverty looked like: the stereotype of people with hard luck tales who were born     to  -- or slid into -- poverty, people we know we should help, but people who are reassuringly “other” and not like ourselves. I’m not sure that stereotype ever was true, but certainly the current economic hard times have shaken that stereotype. These days, those needing extra help are just as likely to be the shell-shocked former middle class whose closets may still hold the designer labels from their previous lives, but whose pantries are empty.  Many of these newer poor were caught unprepared for the length and breadth of this economic downturn; some found themselves looking for a place to live when their houses were foreclosed, some faced a simultaneous health crisis and loss of insurance, and some just found themselves crushed by debt they accrued when they thought their jobs would last through the payments.

This is National Food Bank Week and our nation’s food banks, which always have struggled to meet the demand of the nation’s hungry, now find themselves trying to feed a whole new set of poor people. In fact, Feeding America, a network of 205 food banks and 63,000 charitable feeding agencies, reports that the demand for emergency food has risen above the past year’s demand by about a third nationwide, and much of that demand is driven by first-time users of food banks and people who have lost their jobs.

More...

If you are a parent, you probably are familiar with the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. As a father, I’ve read the book to my four children countless times. For those of you not familiar with this famous story by Eric Carle  – spoiler alert here for those who might be upset that I’ve revealed the ending – the caterpillar just can’t seem to get enough food. He starts out okay, but then his eating is out of control until, feeling a little sick, he eats a nice green leaf and starts to feel better just in time to turn into a beautiful butterfly. I’ve been re-reading the book lately to get ready for today, Thursday, October 8. That’s when the Sodexo Foundation once again sponsors Jumpstart’s Read for the Record. Jumpstart organizes people throughout the country to read a book – this year, it’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar – to children. The underlying message of the day is that early education is important in order to eliminate the achievement gap that leads to social and economic disparities down the road.

The Sodexo Foundation has committed $2 million to Jumpstart and is one of their national sponsors.  

Given that childhood obesity is another societal ill that breaks down along economic lines, Sodexo also is providing lesson plans on nutrition that can be taught alongside the book readings. Just how many calories did that hungry caterpillar consume? Well, Sodexo’s clinical dietitians have calculated that the little invertebrate ate about 2,112 calories.

Considering that a child 7-10 years of age needs about 2,000 calories a day, that’s a lot of calories for the caterpillar, even if he did have to expend some energy on metamorphosis! The lesson plan we send to teachers for today’s event talks about the fact that you certainly can have a treat like ice cream, but that most of your diet should be made up of healthy choices.

As the children hear the story of the caterpillar and as they absorb the lessons that go along with it, we hope they’ll not only be entertained by the caterpillar, but that they’ll also get some food for thought.

This year, we rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange to help bring attention to this important day. Next year, if you want to help a child develop reading skills, please consider volunteering for Jumpstart’s Read for the Record.  And today, follow us at @SodexoUSA on twitter.com and you can get real-time updates about our reading for the record.

This past weekend was a spectacular one in the nation’s capitol. Warm, sunny… the kind of day where you wake up feeling like you can change the world. This weekend also marked the 140th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. The human rights activist and world leader showed us that one person CAN change the world – through bold actions that demonstrated his commitment to social change and improving the lives of millions of people. To celebrate his birthday and example of service, Sodexo joined 12 other companies and thousands of individuals nationwide for a day of service called Be The Change.

Nearly 200 college students and corporate sponsors gathered at the George Washington University campus for an opening rally, then divided into groups and went into Washington DC to help their choice of several charities who were the service partners and recipients of the day.

Sodexo has sponsored the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) Be The Change event for four years now – and we do so because we BELIEVE in SAALT’s mission of service, and we want to do all we can to LIVE that mission by contributing to communities in need to make a positive impact through change.

Change has swept our nation this year, as you know.  From President Obama’s White House --- to houses in neighborhoods everywhere, we are changing our priorities. We’re emphasizing GIVING AND SERVICE as part of our everyday activities; we’re embracing our COMMUNITIES the way we do our families; and we are showing value for PEOPLE and their unique contributions.

Be The Change gave us the opportunity to join forces with other individuals and businesses dedicated to making the world a better place.  This year’s theme - “Giving in Action,” reflects the variety of ways volunteers give back to their community in the spirit of service. 

More...