Joseph Morrison, a sophomore at Davidson College, was awarded a $500 Youth Grant from YSA (Youth Service America) and the Sodexo Foundation to support youth-led service initiatives addressing childhood hunger.
One of 25 grants awarded nationwide, Morrison’s project will help students from the North Carolina Campus Compact
network kick off Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week at the Compact’s annual Student Conference November 11 and 12, 2011. Friday night, students from almost 30 campuses will be involved in packing Thanksgiving baskets for Forsyth County families. On November 12, over 200 students from across the state will be invited to participate in a four month Statewide Challenge to address food insecurity in their communities.
Sodexo Youth Grant winners will engage at least 20 youth volunteers in learning about and addressing childhood hunger in local
communities. These service projects will be held during National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, November 15-21, 2011.
Morrison, a Chapel Hill native, serves on NC Campus Compact’s Student Advisory Board. At Davidson College, he is a Bonner Scholar, selected for his passion for working with community partners to serve the greater good and his solid academic potential. He spent summer 2011 as a fulltime volunteer with NC Campus Compact. “Joe’s commitment to service and his philanthropic nature distinguish him as an emerging leader,” shared Lisa Keyne, NC Campus Compact Executive Director.
Unique to YSA Grants dealing with childhood hunger, Sodexo Youth Grants directly call upon youth, ages 5-25, to implement a
project as opposed to teachers, community organizers or faith-based leaders. “With more than 16 million children in the U.S. enduring daily uncertainty about the source of their next meal, it will take a creative intergenerational approach to rid our nation of childhood hunger,” said Robert A. Stern, president, Sodexo Foundation. “The Sodexo Foundation is proud to partner with YSA to mobilize youth, which will give a powerful boost to our efforts to end childhood hunger.”
Youth Service America (YSA) improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles. Founded in 1986, YSA supports a global culture of engaged youth committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership, and achievement. The impact of YSA’s work through service and service-learning is measured in student achievement, workplace readiness, and healthy communities. For more information, visit www.YSA.org.
Sodexo, Inc. in North America (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S.,
Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America.
Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog