SODEXHO USA DONATES NEW TRUCK TO CAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK

GAITHERSBURG, MD, March 21, 2005 - Sodexho USA, the nation's leading provider of food and facilities management services, announced today the donation of a new 14-foot refrigerated Ford F-550 truck to the Capital Area Food Bank. The keys to the vehicle were presented by Sodexho President and CEO Richard Macedonia to Food Bank President and CEO Lynn Brantley during last night's Second Annual Farmer's Blue Jeans Ball at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

First Lady Laura Bush served as honorary patron of the event, with Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich and Virginia Governor Mark Warner acting as honorary chairpersons. Macedonia served as the ball's event chair, and Roberto Donna of Galileo was the official celebrity chef for the event.

“At Sodexho, we are very passionate about food and about service and we launched our own Stop Hunger initiative more than 10 years ago with the idea that we would channel that passion into programs that would enable our employees to help make a difference,” said Macedonia, who chaired the event. “There at least 13 million reasons why we have focused on this issue-and all are under the age of 18. One child in five in our nation is at risk for hunger right at this moment. Here in Washington D.C. about 35 percent of our children live in poverty-the highest rate in the country.

“On behalf of the people of Sodexho, I am very pleased to be able to present to the Capital Area Food Bank a brand new refrigerated truck that will assist you in continuing to provide food for those in need throughout the Washington area,” Macedonia said.

The Sodexho truck will be used to deliver food for Kid's Café, a Food Bank partnership with Washington, D.C.-based after school programs that provides free, well-balanced, hearty snacks or evening meals to children in an environment that is safe and accessible. In addition, the truck will also be used for food drive collections, deliveries to Food Bank member agencies, and on site at the Anacostia Farmer's Market during the summer and fall. The Capital Area Food Bank is an affiliate of America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization.

“The truck being donated by Sodexho is vital to our effort to reach the more than 285,000 people the Capital Area Food Bank serves each year,” said Brantley, in accepting the keys to the vehicle. “Trucks are the life line for many at risk for hunger who rely on food donations and deliveries. We thank Sodexho for being a committed partner in the struggle to ensure that all people in our community have adequate food to eat.”

Macedonia noted that when the Food Bank began operations in 1980, it delivered about 1,500 pounds of food per month. Today, the Food Book distributes about 1 ½ million pounds of food each month via its 700 member agencies, serving more than 275,000 local residents.

Sodexho, through its charitable arm, the Sodexho Foundation, has been the anchor of many anti-hunger initiatives in the Washington D.C. community, providing grants to organizations that seek to address the underlying causes of hunger in our society.

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. 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. Sodexho continues to make a difference each day as one of the largest donors of surplus perishable and non-perishable food to America's Second Harvest.

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.helpstophunger.org.

Sodexho USA (www.sodexhoUSA.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.