Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation arranged volunteering opportunities with SSAFA at seven locations across the UK and Cyprus for Sodexo’s employees and for volunteers from its supply partners and client organisations.
Over one week, National Volunteers Week (3-9th June), around 92 volunteers put in 525 hours support to help with gardening, wellbeing workshops and handing out leaflets. Around 780 SSAFA members benefitted from the help of the volunteers in the one week alone.
Gareth John, European director of Sodexo legal affairs and chair of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation said: “Sadly veterans are more likely to face food insecurity. This is why Stop Hunger has been a partner to SSAFA since 2008, supporting the provision of urgent welfare – financial, practical and emotional – to those most in need from the armed forces community, in particular veterans and their families through SSAFA’s Stop Hunger Homelessness Fund. Volunteering plays an important role in our partnership with SSAFA so it was an honour to provide opportunities for our colleagues, clients and suppliers for our annual volunteering drive.”
Around 70 Sodexo employees will be participating in SSAFA’s 13 Bridges Challenge, an annual fundraising event held in London covering the city’s iconic bridges on 29th June (Armed Forces Day). Some participants will be taking part in the ten mile walk virtually, however all will be raising valuable funds for SSAFA.