Sodexho Foundation Gives $150,000 Grant
to the Hispanic College Fund

WASHINGTON, DC - The Hispanic College Fund (HCF) Inc., announced today that the Sodexho Foundation, the charitable arm of the nation's leading provider of food and facilities management services, has donated $150,000 to help fund HCF scholarships for college students who are in need of financial assistance. The announcement was made by Fernando Barrueta, President and CEO of the HCF.

"On behalf of the Hispanic College Fund, and the future Hispanic business leaders who will now gain the opportunity to attend college, I am honored to accept this grant from the Sodexho Foundation," said Barrueta. "This funding will enable some of our most promising young people to earn a college degree and launch themselves a successful career."

The Sodexho grant will fund scholarships awarded to financially disadvantaged Hispanic high school seniors who have been accepted by a college or university. The Sodexho Foundation supports programs and initiatives that get to the root causes of hunger in our society, and recipients of the Sodexho scholarships must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or above (on a 4 point scale) while demonstrating involvement in programs dedicated towards fighting hunger. Scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and supplies.

"The Sodexho Foundation is committed to fighting hunger in our society and we are very pleased to be able to make this contribution to the Hispanic College Fund which does so much to provide opportunities for promising young people," Sodexho President and CEO Michel Landel said. "By working to ensure that all our young people have the necessary educational opportunities to achieve professional and financial success we help reduce the risk that these students and their families will ever face poverty and hunger."

The Hispanic College Fund, Inc. (HCF) is a private non-profit organization founded in 1993 to develop the next generation of Hispanic business leaders in America by awarding scholarships to deserving Hispanic students. HCF accomplishes its mission by securing the funds needed to award financial assistance to students seeking to afford a higher education in academic disciplines leading to careers in business. Since 1994, over 1,100 students have received scholarships valued at over $1.9 million. This year's HCF Scholars received over $500,000 in scholarships. For more information or to apply for a scholarship visit www.hispanicfund.org

Sodexho is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the U.S. and Canada, with $5.5 billion in annual sales. Sodexho offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance, asset and materials 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 is a proud endorser of the Global Sullivan Principles for Corporate Responsibility www.globalsullivanprinciples.org.

The Sodexho Foundation is an independent charitable organization founded in 1999 to support initiatives that focus on eliminating the root causes of hunger in the U.S. The foundation receives the majority of its funding from Sodexho, with additional financial support provided by Sodexho employees (whose donations are matched dollar for dollar by the company), as well as clients, customers and vendor sponsored retail promotions. The company pays all administrative costs of the foundation to ensure that all money raised is directed to those in need.

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