Got a minute? How many times has someone asked you that? Of course, they never really take just a minute, because a minute is really so little time to get anything done. Except, in a minute, three people in this country will be diagnosed with diabetes. Those minutes add up; today, 24 million Americans have diabetes. While that’s a huge number, consider this – the CDC estimates that one-fourth to one-third of those people don’t even know they have the disease. The statistics go on and on:  some minority populations (American Indians, African Americans, and Hispanics) are twice as likely as Caucasians to develop diabetes.  One-third of U.S. children born in 2000 could develop this disease during their lifetime.  And an estimated 57 million Americans have a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes with a condition known as pre-diabetes, or blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but lower than the diabetes range.

You might wonder how someone could have such a prevalent disease and not know it.  But as the second leading cause of death in the U.S., and a major cause of kidney failure, heart disease, and stroke, it certainly affects the health and wellness of Americans in a significant way.  The American Diabetes Association has used November, designated as American Diabetes Month®, to raise awareness of this disease for a number of years.  This year, given the grim statistics, they are taking bolder action with their Stop Diabetes movement. 

There is some good news in all of this.  And American Diabetes Month® is a good time to share it.  People at risk for diabetes or those who already have pre-diabetes can take steps now to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from ever developing.  These steps include medical, nutritional, and lifestyle changes to combat the disease.  At Sodexo, we feel a responsibility to help by providing healthful meals and educating about diabetes, given the millions of meals we serve daily. 

So, what can you do?  Know the signs and symptoms of diabetes.  Ask your doctor about risk factors for the disease.  Find out what you can do to minimize your risk for the disease, or minimize the effects on your health if you already have diabetes.  And encourage your family, friends and co-workers to do the same – you could just help them find out something they don’t already know.

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!

As jobless rates top double digits for the first time since 1983, employers continue to see the value of hiring one group: our veterans. Indeed, in 2008, when the unemployment rate averaged 5.8%, veterans’ unemployment rate was only 4.6%. At Sodexo, we fully understand why employers would value veterans. They recognize the importance of teamwork; they are used to advancing through their own achievements; and they thrive on new assignments and the challenges of new locations. The leadership skills, initiative and integrity we see in our veterans and reservists really reflect Sodexo’s core values.

Indeed, I’m proud to say that Sodexo was just recognized as a top military friendly employer because we make a point of hiring, supporting and retaining military veterans and reservists. It’s the second year we’ve made this list, and we’re very proud.

We know that, for some veterans returning to civilian jobs, the transition can be a difficult one, and we are launching an employee network group to support our veterans’ career success. Called HONOR (Honoring Our Nation’s finest with Opportunity and Respect), this network group will provide support, guidance and resources to employees and families connected to the military, and it will establish partnerships with community groups that support veterans, active duty, National Guard and military reserve forces.

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As different American cultures become “acculturated,” they risk losing the things that made them a unique culture in the first place. Nowhere is this more evident than in the numerous Native American cultures. Ways of life, traditions, cultural heritage and even Native American languages are quickly disappearing – perhaps to be lost forever. The U.S. Census counts more than 550 federally-recognized tribes in the U.S. The largest are the Cherokee Nation, with almost 730,000 members, followed by the Navajo with more than 298,000 and the Sioux with 153,000.

The Census reports that almost 282,000 households speak American Indian languages, but another report places the number of people speaking American Indian as much lower. According to the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages in Salem, Ore., there are about 200 Native American languages, but hardly any of them are still viable. The Institute says that the Navajo language is the most robust, with about 75,000 speakers, followed by Cherokee, with about 20,000 speakers. Whole organizations have sprung up to try to capture what is left of these languages in whatever way they can, including language immersion courses or using an audio encyclopedia to try to engage younger Native Americans.

Just as language defines a culture, so too does food.

Native American food traditionally is food that relies on the land. Although game was a part of the diet, many tribes relied on what they call the “Three Sisters”: corn or maize, beans and squash. For some, potatoes are also a staple. 

At Sodexo, although we celebrate diversity year-round, every November we honor Native Americans in particular during Native American Indian Heritage Month, established in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush. We offer our facilities a whole kit to help them celebrate the month. The kit includes table tents, bookmarks, an informative newsletter, giveaways, and recipe cards. We also feature foods made from Native American recipes during that month for our customers to enjoy and celebrate. 

It’s a small thing, but we hope that by preserving the foods of the Native American culture, we help honor and preserve the culture itself.

You might want to download the Native American recipe below for Three Sisters Soup. Please let us know how your soup turned out and whether you liked it. We’d love to hear from you.

3SistersSoupRecipe.pdf (299.21 kb)