I’m writing this sitting on a plane flying back from Europe, where I was attending Stop Hunger’s Annual Fundraising Dinner in Paris.
Stop Hunger is “Sodexo’s only philanthropic cause” (as quoted from Sophie Bellon, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Sodexo, in her opening remarks at the dinner). The goal of Stop Hunger is to help eradicate the root causes of hunger everywhere in the world (“beyond food aid”) as well as support those who are hungry today. The goal of Stop Hunger dinner events like the one I attended on March 9th is to help raise the funds to help the Foundation do its important work.
You must be wondering why you are reading this right now? Let me explain.
Prior to being a coach, a few decades ago, I worked in business development for Sodexo, a worldwide leader in food services and facilities management company with 412,088 employees in 55 countries and serving 100 million customers on a daily basis. That’s how I met my husband Steve. He joined the American subsidiary of Sodexo a few years after I started with the company, and we met in France at one of Sodexo’s “Innovation Forums”.
The rest, as they say, is history.
We spent a few years “cross-Atlantic dating” (imagine: before cell phones, the internet, FaceTime and so on!!). We exchanged hand-written letters, spoke on very expensive land-line phone calls, and got together for a few days several times a year.
When we were together, we would ride the backroads of France debating big societal topics like Corporate Social Responsibility among many others. We had a big age difference; I was in my mid-twenties and quite the idealist. Imagine a young French socialist and an American business man - it was heated!! And that’s probably where the original idea of Stop Hunger germinated.
Working for Sodexo North America, Steve realized early on that a large number of children —today, 9 million in the United States to be exact— eat their only meal of the day at school. Which means that they eat only one meal a day, might not be able to eat on weekends at all, and usually do not know where their next meal is going to come from during school vacations. And that is in the “richest country on earth”!! As Steve and I were starting to raise our two daughters, I believe the thought of hungry children instantaneously became unbearable to him, and he was determined to mobilize colleagues at Sodexo to fight hunger. And that’s how, in 1996, Steve and a small group of passionate and dedicated Sodexo colleagues started the Stop Hunger movement in Boston.
At one of the Annual Fundraising Events of the Foundation, Steve said:
Fast forward to March 9th 2023: I had the great honor to be invited to attend Stop Hunger's Global 2023 Annual Dinner. It was particularly meaningful to me as March 5th also happens to mark the anniversary of my husband’s death. Steve died of cancer 12 years ago in March 2011 after a tough three-year battle with cancer. In the last few years of his work at Sodexo and as President of Stop Hunger North America, Sodexo’s Stop Hunger movement was starting to go global.
Today, Sodexo’s Stop Hunger cause is bigger and more determined than ever. Stop Hunger has programs in 54 countries with an army of 41,000 volunteers who valiantly raise funds in support of the vital and fundamental task of trying to eradicate the root causes of hunger around the world. In 26 years, in the USA alone, Stop Hunger has granted $43.2 million and awarded $1 million to 81 national Stephen J. Brady scholars and 241 regional scholars (children who fight hunger in their communities). Worldwide, in the last six years, 52 million people have benefitted from the support of Stop Hunger, and 8.5 million meals have been distributed. To find out more, you can watch this short video celebrating 25 years for Stop Hunger.
Looking around at the 600 guests of the Stop Hunger event who together raised a record amount of funds to support the cause that night, and listening to the stories of the courageous and hardworking volunteers who spearhead amazing Stop Hunger projects around the world, I took in with indescribable awe and deep gratitude the result of the small seeds that were planted 26 years ago by Steve and his colleagues.
It’s pretty amazing – the ripple effect small acts of kindness can have.
I just have to share again Helen Keller’s quote again from last month’s newsletter. It’s a quote that Steve used in his remarks at one of the Stop Hunger dinners in the US:
“I am only one; but I am still one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”
If you follow anything I write, post or do, you probably know this by now: I am for kindness. I stand for generosity. And I deeply believe that “small is beautiful” and that “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” (That’s another quote from Helen Keller!). Just think about some of the people who have made a significant difference in our world! Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Rosa Parks come to mind. But there are countless thousands unsung heroes who make a difference, and I find new ones every day!
They all started small, often even continued small. They were humble, modest, selfless. They saw something that seemed wrong to them. They couldn’t live without doing something about it, and they did. Sometimes at great personal cost. But they all started with ONE SMALL ACT of kindness.
You and I have that same power. We can do a small act of kindness today, and know that it will - without the shadow of a doubt – have a ripple effect. I am sure that you’d agree with me: the world needs A LOT of ripples of kindness these days.
What do you say?
Should we try to create a tsunami of kindness?
In love, kindness and generosity,
LET'S START SMALL TOGETHER
FREE LIFECHANGING POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE WEBINARS
I would love the chance to share with you, the SMALLEST YET MOST POWERFUL technique, enabling you to remain calm, clear headed, stress-free, and positive even in the midst of handling work and life’s greatest challenges. These breakthrough "PQ reps" only take two minutes, and with each one you do, you develop greater mastery over your own mind, quiet the negative, and activate the positive region of your brain. By consistently practicing these exercises, you can retrain your brain to focus on positive thoughts and emotions, leading to greater mental strength and well-being.
Start your journey to boost your mental fitness by signing up for one of my free webinars:
SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHALLENGE COACH NEWSLETTER
Are you ready to receive exclusive insights, tips, and strategies to help you overcome your challenges and achieve your goals? Then sign up for The Challenge Coach's Newsletter today!
As a subscriber, you'll get access to:
- Actionable tips and advice from The Challenge Coach
- Inspiring stories
- Discounts for coaching programs and products
... and much more!
Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to stay connected with The Challenge Coach and take your personal growth to the next level. Sign up now and join our community of driven, determined, and empowered individuals:
