SODEXHO FOUNDATION DONATES $75,000 TO HELP END CHILDHOOD HUNGER IN D.C.

GAITHERSBURG, MD, May 4, 2005-The Sodexho Foundation (www.sodexofoundation.org), Sodexho USA's independent charitable organization, announced a grant in the amount of $75,000 to support an initiative that will seek to eradicate childhood hunger in the nation's capital. The Sodexho Foundation, along with the Case Foundation, will provide funding for Ending Childhood Hunger in the Nation's Capital: A Strategic Plan to Ensure Nutritious and Affordable Food for Every Child.

The initiative, lead by D.C. Hunger Solutions, the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and Share Our Strength will involve partnerships with community leaders from the public and private sectors, including representatives from Sodexho, Inc. to identify critical needs and gaps in services in neighborhoods and design collaborative solutions to ensure all children have access to the nutritious food they need to grow, thrive and learn. The coalition will design and implement a 10-year strategic plan to end childhood hunger in the District of Columbia, where nearly 45,000 children are food insecure.

“Sodexho has a long history of fighting hunger and the mission of the Sodexho Foundation is to create a hunger-free America with a focus on children and families. As a member of the Washington, D.C. community, we believe it is our obligation to help those among us who are at risk for hunger,” said Stephen J. Brady, president of the Sodexho Foundation. “We believe childhood hunger is a solvable problem through public/private partnerships and are committed to join in creating a sustainable solution through this effort.”

Sodexho USA, through the Sodexho Foundation, has been the anchor of many anti-hunger initiatives in the Washington, D.C. community. The Sodexho Foundation is a strong supporter of the D.C. Central Kitchen, and recently donated a new, 14-foot refrigerated Ford F-550 truck to the Capital Area Food Bank to be used to deliver food to Washington, D.C. after-school programs that provide free meals to children at risk for hunger.

The Sodexho Foundation also helps fill a critical need in the community by offering meals to children who receive free and reduced-cost lunches during the school year and might otherwise go hungry during the summer months. Last summer, through its “Feeding our Future” program, the Sodexho Foundation provided more than 40,000 free meals to children at risk for hunger in the Washington, D.C. area. The Sodexho Foundation is also a major donor to the community's Annual Project Harvest Food Drive and has donated nearly ten tons of food to the project to feed the less fortunate at Thanksgiving in the D.C. community.

The Sodexho Foundation is the founding funder of the D.C. Central Kitchen's, Campus Kitchens Project and is one of the largest donors of surplus perishable and non-perishable food to America's Second Harvest - the Nation's Food Bank Network. The Foundation recently announced a $750,000 grant commitment to America's Second Harvest to support its Community Kitchen program that provides culinary instruction, food-safety training and job readiness skills to economically disadvantaged adults.

In total, the Sodexho Foundation has provided grants to more than 65 hunger relief and educational organizations this year, including local food banks across the nation, totaling more than $1.4 million.

About the Sodexho Foundation
The Sodexho Foundation is an independent charitable organization that is leading the fight against hunger by supporting initiatives that focus on eliminating the root causes of hunger in the US. Administrative costs are paid by Sodexho USA to ensure that all money raised is directed to those in need. For additional information about the Sodexho Foundation, go to www.sodexofoundation.org.

About D.C. Hunger Solutions
D.C. Hunger Solutions, a project of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), is dedicated to fighting hunger and improving the nutrition, health and well-being of children and families in the District of Columbia. To learn more and take action, visit www.dchunger.org

About the Food Research and Action Center
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is the leading national organization working to improve public policies to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States. FRAC is a nonprofit and nonpartisan research, public policy, public education, training and technical assistance center that serves as the hub of an anti-hunger network of thousands of individuals and agencies across the country. For additional information, log on to www.frac.org

About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading anti-hunger organizations, is committed to building the first hunger-free generation in America. More than 13 million children face hunger in our country and through innovative fund-raising opportunities -- from holding volunteer-led special events to developing unique corporate partnerships -- Share Our Strength is working toward ensuring these children have access to nutritious food that enables them to learn, grow and thrive. Since its founding in 1984, Share Our Strength has raised more than $188 million supporting more than 1,000 anti-hunger, anti-poverty organizations worldwide. For more information, please visit www.strength.org.

About the Case Foundation
The Case Foundation was founded in 1997 by Steve and Jean Case to reflect their family's heartfelt commitment to addressing complex social challenges. Today, the foundation is pursuing a number of initiatives, and is particularly focused on three strategies: encouraging collaboration, supporting successful leaders and fostering entrepreneurship in the nonprofit sector.

Sodexho USA (www.sodexoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States, with $6 billion in annual revenue and 110,000+ employees. Sodexho USA offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance, asset management, and laundry services to more than 6,000 corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, military and remote sites in North America. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexho USA proudly serves as the official food service provider for the US Marine Corps.