Sodexo Foundation donates £20,000 to Save the Children’s East Africa food appeal

In the UK, STOP Hunger was launched in 2005 to tackle hunger and malnutrition in local communities. Part of Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Plan sustainability strategy to 2020, the initiative has three main components: Financial donations thanks to employee fundraising, sharing of Sodexo knowledge with charity partners and employee volunteering through charity partners. STOP Hunger supports charities that tackle hunger, poor nutrition and promote life skills such as cooking in local communities, and it provides a central focus for Sodexo employee fundraising and volunteering. Until now, STOP Hunger's approach has been consistent with Sodexo's worldwide policy to 'think global but act local'. The Sodexo Foundation's £20,000 donation to Save the Children's 'Fill a Truck Appeal' has been led by Natalie Bickford, Sodexo HR director and a Foundation trustee. She said: "STOP Hunger's focus is local but, with over 13 million people facing starvation in East Africa at the moment, we have to look further and help those in the most desperate need. "Thanks to the outstanding support of Sodexo employees, suppliers, customers and clients, we're helping to stop children from dying at a rate of one every six minutes in the worst hit areas." "Since the launch of STOP Hunger in the UK and Ireland, we have raised over £1.2 million to support charities operating locally. Thanks to Sodexo's continued dedication to tackling hunger, I'm thrilled to see us support Save the Children's East Africa food crisis relief effort," added Thomas Jelley, corporate citizenship manager, Sodexo. Olivia Zinzan, emergency communications officer at Save the Children, said: "Sodexo's generous donation to Save the Children's 'Fill a Truck Appeal' has helped Save the Children to deliver life-saving high-nutrient peanut paste to malnourished children across East Africa. This is a simple and low cost treatment that ensures a speedy recovery, and has helped us to save thousands of children's lives."