The Sodexo Foundation and YSA are accepting applications from organizations across the United States to serve as 2011-2012 Sodexo Lead Organizers.
ications are due by midnight on Friday, July 22.
Sodexo Lead Organizers will work with partner organizations to engage at least 600 youth volunteers in learning about and addressing the issue of childhood hunger in their communities, beginning during Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week (November 14-20) and continuing through Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) (April 20-22, 2012).
Sodexo Lead Organizers will also build new partnerships in their community and increase public awareness about the issue of hunger and young people’s role in solving the problem.
Finally, they will report on their efforts to YSA and document effective strategies for engaging youth in addressing childhood hunger.
The Sodexo Lead Organizer grant program is open to U.S. organizations only.
Program Timeline
- July 22, 2011 – Application deadline.
- early August 2011 – Applicants notified of grant status.
- October 24-26, 2011 – Training at Youth Service Institute in Philadelphia, PA.
- November 14-20, 2011 – Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (project period kicks off with service project or highly-visible activity).
- November 2011 - April 2012 – Ongoing projects & public awareness campaign, regular progress reports due.
- April 20-22, 2012 – Global Youth Service Day (project period culminates with service project or highly-visible activity).
- May 2012 – Final report due.
Grant Responsibilities
- Engage at least 600 youth in service-learning projects addressing the issue of childhood hunger
- Organize high-visibility projects / activities during Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week and Global Youth Service Day, with ongoing projects taking place throughout the summer/fall
- Track and report impact on the issue of childhood hunger in their communities
- Build or strengthen partnerships with 10 partner organizations to achieve scale and impact
- Increase public awareness of the issue through media and elected officials
- Engage Sodexo employees in projects where possible
Grant Benefits
- $2,000 planning grant
- Travel and lodging for 2011 Youth Service Institute – October 24-26, 2011 in Philadelphia
- Ongoing networking opportunities and training and technical assistance from YSA
Examples of Sodexo Lead Organizer Activities
- Washington & Jefferson College students organized a hunger task force to educate and engage their peers on campus through trainings and service projects. On Global Youth Service Day, hundreds of students served at local food banks, pantries, and kitchens.
- The LEAGUE in Michigan’s summer leadership camp will focus on the issue of childhood hunger. During the camp, students will package 10,000 meals with Kids Against Hunger, learn more about the issue, plan for projects in their own schools for the 11-12 school year, and apply for mini-grants.
- Earth Care in Santa Fe worked with the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Public Schools, and Roots and Shoots to engage youth in service at the Santa Fe Community Farm, which donates all food to local schools and food banks. They organized another celebration at an elementary school, distributing information about childhood hunger and helping students plant seedlings to start home gardens. They will continue their program by building backyard gardens in low-income neighborhoods, and working with seven different schools to start school gardens.
- Pillsbury United Communities in Minneapolis, MN planned a multicultural community dinner, inviting families in their low-income neighborhood to launch a community garden. Currently, all food from the garden goes to families who work on the garden, so the goal is to increase the harvest from community garden to be able to donate to a food shelf at a the community center. On GYSD, youth leaders organized multicultural food drive, collecting culturally relevant food items for two food shelves in South Minneapolis that serve a diverse population.
- The Salvation Army of Indiana worked with students with Key Clubs to organize a couponing program, encouraging young children to learn about hunger, collect coupons, and purchase food for food pantry. They also provided couponing classes to families staying at shelters in Indianapolis. They are currently working with teachers in local schools to plan for integration into classes for next school year.
- Grant Lake Theatrix organized a celebration event on Global Youth Service Day, providing entertainment and contests, engaging the community and elected officials to raise awareness of the issue of childhood hunger. As part of the event, they collected food donations to start new food pantry in the community that didn’t have a food pantry.
- Kentucky YMCA Youth Association participants in Louisville met with experts from Kentucky Youth Advocates, Greater Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness, Dare to Care Food Bank, and Kentucky Harvest to learn about childhood hunger. After meeting with experts on the issue of childhood hunger, youth selected a local community agency fighting hunger, visited the agency to learn about the organization and its work, and then participated in service on-site with that organization.
Access the Sodexo Lead Organizer grant application here.
You can preview the application questions here. If you have questions, please contact outreach@ysa.org
