Family Fun Night Curbs Child Hunger

Local nonprofit Share Today Shape Tomorrow, food service company Sodexo and the University of Redlands organized a free community Family Fun Night at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside on Wednesday, April 8. The event at the Hansberger Clubhouse was open to all families with children in the community. They were served vegetable soup made in an InStove, a high-efficiency stove typically used in developing countries, and kids made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and decorated cookies. Organizers also gave away packaged and canned food, toiletries and books. At least 20 University of Redlands students, a few instructors and five Sodexo employees volunteered. Catherine Walker, executive director of Share Today Shape Tomorrow, spearheaded the event with a $400 grant from Sodexo and donations from other sources, including the university’s Campus Diversity & Inclusion and Community Service Learning offices. The Sodexo grant had to be used to ease child hunger, Walker said. “Sodexo's goal in providing this funding is to address neighborhood child hunger through civic engagement. I say we accomplished this -- we provided a meal to many parents and their children. In the process, we involved many young adults in one of the pressing issues of this time. These young college students had the opportunity to get involved with their community; they got to see that their actions make a difference,” said Walker, who also teaches environmental studies at the university. “We are so glad the event went well, and the parents really enjoyed the food and time spent with their children,” said Boys & Girls Clubs vice president Mark Davis.