The Stop Hunger Fondation helps stop hunger around the world. Present in over 40 countries, the foundation has gathered 82,000 volunteers and served over 6 million years in 2017. Read what French newspaper Les Echos has to say about the foundation.
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Les Echos April 13, 2018
Stop Hunger, the pride of Sodexo
In 2017, this network mobilized no less than 82,000 volunteers in 41 countries and distributed more than 6 million meals.
On March 13, at the Seine Musicale in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris, Stop Hunger organized a Donor's Evening around a dinner created by Michelin-starred chefs Thierry Marx and Frédéric Anton. The goal: raise funds to fight hunger throughout the world and recognize people involved in this fight. Mission accomplished with 750,000 euros collected, including 715,000 euros by "selling" tables to Sodexo partner companies or clients, and 35,000 euros by encouraging the generosity of the evening’s 500 guests.
"We consider that hunger is not inevitable. Stop Hunger is a global network of non-profit organizations working in three fields of intervention: support to local communities in need, women empowerment and emergency assistance," says Stop Hunger’s President Clodine Pincemin, who relies on 1,200 NGOs and the unique ecosystem of Sodexo, its founding partner. Of the giant services company’s 427,000 employees, more than 40,000 are involved in this humanitarian cause, sometimes with their families; so are some of the 100 million consumers served daily by the multinational along with thousands of its clients, suppliers and shareholders.
It was former Sodexo CEO Michel Landel who, with a team of employees in Boston, in the U.S., believed in this approach 20 years ago. The movement then spread across the planet. Even today, more than one in nine people suffer from hunger, or 815 million people, while paradoxically one third of all food produced ends up in garbage cans. Stop Hunger has the total support of Sodexo founder Pierre Bellon, present in the front row for the Donors' Evening. "Sodexo constantly fights against food waste and has always wanted to bring the hope to everyone for a better quality of life; this was therefore a natural commitment," says Clodine Pincemin.
Exemplary actions
This activist has a dedicated team of seven people, and a budget of 10 million euros, including 2.5 collected through the “fonds de dotation” created by Sodexo. In 2017, Stop Hunger mobilized no less than 82,000 volunteers in 41 countries and distributed more than 6 million meals. "And 100% of the donations are allocated to help those in need," says the president of Stop Hunger.
During the dinner at the Seine Musicale, the exemplary efforts of women, young people, and Sodexo volunteers were highlighted, illustrating the diversity of possible actions and the huge solidarity canvas woven by Stop Hunger. For example, Brazil's Elizandra Cerqueira launched a vegetable garden program on the rooftops of the Paraisopolis favela, giving mothers the opportunity to be trained in market gardening and food preparation, enabling them to feed their families and sell part of their crop. For the townships of Durban in South Africa, Nonhlanhla Joye has designed a start-up focused on growing above-ground vegetables, in recycled bags: 50 micro-cooperatives support the livelihoods of 3,000 families.
Bringing together 200,000 volunteers
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nigest Haile Goshu is developing a network of women entrepreneurs: already 500 have been trained in exporting artisanal activities, helping 7 to 9 times more people to escape hunger. In the United States, Jackie DeCarlo, head of the Manna Food Center, provides food aid and organizes cooking and nutrition workshops on a mobile bus for 35,000 workers in need, the elderly, disadvantaged students and individuals with disabilities. A volunteer for 20 years at Restos du Coeur, Brigitte Miché has also set up workshops in France with the support of Sodexo and a reintegration unit in Drôme.
Clodine Pincemin does not intend to stop: by 2020, Stop Hunger should number 200,000 volunteers and serve no less than 10 million meals. A mission that is also the pride of Sodexo teams.
Photo caption: Stop Hunger has formed a worldwide solidarity network (here in Mali). - Andrea D'Errico / WFP
