Sodexo’s “Fill My Fridge” Events Ease Campus Move-In Day for Parents and Freshmen

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) Gaithersburg, Md. - August 17, 2010 - As millions of parents pack their cars with dorm décor preparing to make the college-bound trek with their freshmen children known as campus move-in day, Sodexo will greet them with welcoming events that include music, kiosks to answer questions and a tent sale stocked with dorm-fridge favorites at nearly 200 Sodexo-served campuses from New England to Hawaii.

Sodexo’s Campus Services President Tom Post came up with the idea, called Fill My Fridge (SM), after experiencing a frustrating move-in day with his son last August. Move-in day was chaotic for his family and after hours of unanswered questions and confusion, they had to drive for an hour to a box store to get supplies for his son’s dorm fridge.   “Sending your child off to college is a rite of passage for parents and students,” said Post. “We launched a program that creates the kind of exceptional experience I wished for my family – one that makes move-in day a seamless celebration.”
During resident hall move-in day, Sodexo will set up an area where parents can purchase goods to stock their students’ dorms with dry goods, refrigerated goods, and beverages. Families can enjoy music and get a complimentary bottle of water or snack as they prepare to say farewell.
Sodexo researched favorite dorm food of 18-to 24-year-old students and worked with suppliers, which included engaging local farmers and produce companies to provide local fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and bread. Sodexo is also working with its vendor partners, including national beverage companies, to help stock dorm fridges. 
At the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in North Dartmouth, Mass., Sodexo will serve a complimentary barbecue for the class of 2014. Parents can enjoy a free chair massage after shopping for Fill My Fridge groceries or receiving their preordered refrigerator items. Special diet and wellness information will be available for freshmen. The Sodexo team will also provide a cooling station complete with wading pools. At Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., a display tent will be available for parents to peruse the favorite snacks and beverages of their first-year students. Fill My Fridge events will take place across the country in the coming weeks.   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 $12 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at blogs.sodexoUSA.com.   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 largestemployer worldwide

Sodexo in North America

7.7 billion dollarsrevenue
120,000 employees
10 million consumers served daily
6,000 clients
700 facilities management sites

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