UAlbany Executive Chef Jude Jerome named "Sodexo Hero"

Sodexo Executive Chef Jude Jerome, who oversees kitchens at the University at Albany, in Albany, N.Y., never says no when someone in need comes to him. Whether creating a food recovery program at the university or working with orphans in his native Haiti or feeding at-risk kids in Albany, Jerome gives his time freely. For these efforts, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has named him one of the Heroes of Everyday Life and provided him with a $5,000 grant to support a local hunger charity of his choice.

The Heroes of Everyday Life program highlights employees who invest their time, talent, and resources to help some of the 42 million people at risk of hunger in the U.S. Collectively they raise awareness, raise funds, coordinate food drives, volunteer in soup kitchens, support food recovery programs, and teach nutrition education and healthy cooking skills.

“Recognizing the efforts employees make in the community can be just as crucial to our missions as what they accomplish on the clock,” explained Gerri Mason Hall, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Chair and Chief Human Resources Officer, Sodexo North America.

“When business leaders highlight and reward community contributions of employees, it reverberates through the organization,” she added.

Celebrity chef, food sorter, nonprofit founder, culinary skills teacher, foster child transition team leader. All roles that describe Jerome. In his role as celebrity chef for fundraisers in Albany, he has helped raise over $200,000 in the last four years for people struggling to meet their basic needs. Through his regular volunteerism, he has helped thousands of people who would otherwise experience hunger in his community. He recovers over 6,000 pounds of food annually from Sodexo sites at the University at Albany to benefit those in need, including 7,000 area veterans and their families through Veterans Miracle Network.

Jerome started his own charity, Hope for Hunger, five years ago to help orphanages in Haiti with financial needs, mental health, life skills, mentorship and language lessons. The charity regularly feeds 600 children in five orphanages Every year Jerome heads up a backpack drive that provides 400 fully stocked backpacks each year for Haitian children. His work in the US includes helping foster children from Haiti as they transition to their new lives in the Albany area.

(PHOTO CAPTION: (left to right) Kevin D’Onofrio, UAlbany Dining Resident District Manager, Christy Jerome, Chef Jude Jerome, Jeff Kurto, UAlbany Dining Retail General Manager)

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation works to ensure that every child in the United States, especially those most at risk, grows up with dependable access to enough nutritious food to enable them to lead a healthy, productive life. Visit Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @StopHungerUSA.