Local Student, 15-Year old Colin Wanless Receives Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grant to Fight Childhood Hunger on Global Youth Service Day 2019

BOCA RATON, Fla. - April 2, 2019 - PrZen -- Colin Wanless of Boca Raton, a 9^th GRADE STUDENT at American Heritage School – Boca-Delray Campus, has been awarded a Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grant through Youth Service America (YSA). The $400 grant supports Wanless in leading a community service project that addresses the issue of childhood hunger. In addition, he received a $400 sustainability grant to continue the initiative throughout the summer. Fort Lauderdale's City Commissioner Robert McKinzie and Vice Mayor Sorenson plan to attend.

One in six children in America are at risk of hunger. In South Florida approximately 19.4% of children are food insecure. This translates to about 240,190 children who go to bed hungry daily. This is a problem that can be solved, and young people are a part of the solution. Joshua's Heart Foundation's youth-led activities will take place on April 13^th from 7:30am to 1:00pm, during Global Youth Service Day. Wanless and his youth volunteers we will serve families in need by distributing groceries, books, toys, clothing and personal items. "We are excited and expect to help over 1,400 people on April 13^th with the addition of our onsite Health Fair," said Wanless – Boca Raton Chapter President for Joshua's Heart Foundation.

Colin is one of 114 young leaders across the country awarded $400 grants to organize projects to help end childhood hunger. Grantees will educate and mobilize their peers around the issue to help end childhood hunger through awareness, service, advocacy, and philanthropy activities. They join millions of other young people around the world as part of Global Youth Service Day, April 12 – 14, 2019. Celebrating 31 years of youth changing the world, Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is the largest youth service and civic action event in the world.

"We want to empower today's youth because we believe they are the generation to end child hunger.  We are supporting young leaders, from elementary to college students, who are dedicating their time to solving this crisis in one of the world's wealthiest countries," said Gerri Mason Hall, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Chair and Chief Human Resources Officer, Sodexo North America. "By investing in their efforts on Global Youth Service Day, we hope to ignite the passion in other young people to join the fight against child hunger."

Youth Service America
Founded in 1986, Youth Service America (YSA) is a nonprofit organization that supports youth to learn the skills they need to find their voice, take action and have an impact on critical challenges facing their communities. To measure its global impact in more than 100 countries, YSA aligns its outcomes with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the 21st Century Skills. To learn more, visit www.YSA.org.For more information, visit www.YSA.org and www.GYSD.org.

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation
The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation works with and through partners to help end childhood hunger in the United States because no child should be hungry today or risk being hungry again tomorrow. Sodexo, Inc., which funds all administrative costs, and the nonprofit Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, mobilize experts, innovators, volunteers and donors to feed children; to advocate for policies to end childhood hunger; and to implement innovative potential solutions, particularly those designed by youth. Since 1999, the Foundation has leveraged nearly $32 million in grant dollars to help end childhood hunger. For more information, visit www.SodexoFoundation.org and www.SodexoUSA.com

Joshua's Heart Foundation (JHF)
JHF was founded in 2005 in Miami, Florida by Joshua when he was 4 _^1/2 years old and is dedicated to the fight against global hunger and poverty. JHF is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit, which empowers needy people to improve their quality of life by providing necessities like groceries and personal items. We also effectively engage and educate young people in committing to fight hunger and poverty globally.