Heroes of Everyday Life - 2004
Every year, our Heroes of Everyday Life® are honored for the work they do to help others. We are extremely proud of the good our 2004 Heroes have done.
John Andrykis
Baltimore, MD
There's nothing fishy about John's efforts to fight hunger-since 1997, he's captained an annual sailboat regatta that's netted more than $41,000 for the Sodexho Foundation. Back on dry land, John volunteers each month to help purchase, cook, and serve meals for over 100 adults and children at the Corpus Christi Community Center, engaging his Sodexho team at the Baltimore Aquarium to support this effort.
Chris Concepcion
Chandler, AZ
In keeping with the Sodexho Foundation's mission to tackle the root causes of hunger, Chris has worked closely with the St. Mary's Food Bank Community Kitchen® to place over 80 culinary students in Sodexho internships over the past two years, while helping 12 Community Kitchen graduates to find permanent employment in Sodexho accounts. A believer in the power of team spirit, for the past five years Chris has led a team of Sodexho employees in Arizona to serve meals to hungry men, women and children, held canned food drives, and donated surplus food to those in need.
E. Scott Daniels
Allentown, PA
When there's a family in need in Wilmington, Delaware, Scott is likely to be there-whether he's organizing a holiday feeding event for 125 families at risk of hunger or launching a perishable donation program in the region in conjunction with the Delaware-based US Food Rescue. Scott first began volunteering as a chef instructor for a culinary job training program in 1999, and through his efforts more than 20 students have gained internships in Sodexho accounts, with eight graduates securing full-time employment.
Mark Jeffrey
Providence, RI
Recognizing that weekends are times when kids living in poverty are out of school and more likely to go hungry, Mark launched BackPackers, a weekend feeding program for students in the Providence School District. Each Friday afternoon, Mark and his team of Sodexho volunteers fill over 80 backpacks with non-perishable food items and educational materials. This program has been adopted by three other Rhode Island school districts and will be expanding to other states.
Tod Shoenberger
Pittsburgh, PA
Thanks to Tod's hard work, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has been the recipient of food donations and funds generated through a number of innovative S.T.O.P. Hunger events held on the University of Pittsburgh campus. In 2003, over $1,200 in food was donated to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank as a result of the Pitt Caring Cans program, and each summer for the past six years, Tod and his team of a dozen Sodexho volunteers organize, prepare and serve 300+ picnic lunches to low-income/at-risk families in Schenley Park.
Patricia Stargensky,
Troy, NY
When it comes to hunger, Patty doesn't just talk the talk-since 1999, she's co-chaired the walk-the Crop Walk to be exact, an annual event that has raised more than $15,000 to help fight hunger. Through her efforts, more than $5,000 has been raised to benefit local hunger relief agencies since 2000. Her efforts have helped raise awareness about the issue of hunger among students. In 2002, Patty developed a program where Sodexho chefs teach student volunteers to cook gourmet meals that they later serve to people at risk for hunger in the community.
Martha Jane Weaver
Devon, PA
Since 1981, Jane volunteers once a week with Meals on Wheels, a program dedicated to serving nutritious meals to the homebound elderly. Not only does Jane help in the kitchen preparing and packing the food, but to date she has personally delivered more than 11,000 meals to those in need, including many senior citizens. Since 1982, Jane has volunteered on a monthly basis with the local Church Food for the Homeless Program, volunteering eight hours of her time each month.
Harold Wynn
Rochester, NY
It's hard to celebrate the holidays when you're at risk of hunger. But for eight years, Harold has demonstrated a true spirit of giving, spending each Thanksgiving and Christmas preparing, cooking and delivering over 50 hot meals to hungry families in the community. But his holiday spirit lasts year-round-twice a week, Harold prepares and serves two dozen hot meals to single parents and children as part of a local Food and Tutor program. Harold is also involved in fundraising for a program that awards educational scholarships to low-income high school graduates.
