Sodexo Showcases Food Grown and Produced in Oregon with Locally-Sourced Lunch at Salem-Keizer Public Schools

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) GAITHERSBURG, MD - October 11, 2010 - Today, nearly 900 students at Salem-Keizer Public Schools’ Leslie Middle School will learn more about the abundance of food grown and produced in Oregon as they enjoy a farm to school lunch from student nutrition provider Sodexo. 

The lunch, which is part of Sodexo’s commitment to student well-being, offers a great opportunity for Leslie Middle School students to learn more about the wide range of healthy and delicious food available locally and throughout Oregon. The farm to school lunch coincides with a United States Department of Agriculture event to announce two federal grants for Salem-Keizer Public Schools – one to purchase local specialty crops for the student nutrition program and one to support an educational garden in the district.   “I am proud that Salem-Keizer Public Schools is partnering with Sodexo to support local growers and food producers,” said Salem-Keizer Superintendent Sandy Husk. “I really appreciate the way Sodexo uses its resources to make nutrition education tangible for students. The farm to school lunch is a great way to teach students about all of the fresh and delicious food available in our region and the important role Oregon’s agriculture community plays in their lives.”   Sodexo worked closely with its suppliers, including Duck Delivery Produce, Inc. in Portland, Ore., to create a memorable lunch that highlights a wide-range of local fruit, vegetables and products. The fresh and nutritious menu features locally-grown and raised items like natural beef, Gala apples, jicama, potatoes, pears, kidney beans, red onions, zucchini and radishes. Some of the locally-produced items on the menu include cheese and black bean burgers.   “Although this farm to school lunch is a special event, it is not a one-time showcase,” said Dave Harvey, area manager for Sodexo. “We work hard throughout the year to provide as many local food options available as possible while also still making lunch affordable for Salem-Keizer families and will continue to do so in the future.”   This event represents just one of the ways in which Sodexo works to meet the strategic needs of its clients in the communities where it operates. The farm to school lunch demonstrates Sodexo’s commitment to sustainability and its corporate responsibility as outlined in its Better Tomorrow Plan.   Sodexo is observing National School Lunch Week, Oct. 11 to 15 by highlighting innovative programs in the 480 school districts it serves. Sodexo is committed to take measurable sustainable actions that ensure a brighter future in the areas of health and wellness, environmental stewardship and community development. Sodexo School Services focuses on nutrition, achievement, environment, community and activity to promote student well-being.   For more information about Sodexo and its commitment to locally-sourced, sustainable food visit www.sodexoUSA.com and click the link for Corporate Citizenship.  

About Sodexo
 
Sodexo in North America
Sodexo, Inc. (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 $13 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.
 
Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions
Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo is the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo’s 380,000 employees, in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled range of On-site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates and to the fulfillment of its employees.
 

Key Figures (as of August 31, 2009)
  Sodexo in the World
 
14.7 billion euro consolidated revenue
380,000 employees
33,900 sites
50 million consumers served daily
80 countries
22^nd largest employer worldwide
  Sodexo in North America
 
7.7 billion dollars revenue
120,000 employees
10 million consumers served daily
6,000 clients
700 facilities management sites

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