The Sodexo Foundation has awarded Hastings College’s Food 4 Thought backpack program a $1000 grant to support the program’s efforts to help feed Hastings Public Elementary School students and their families.

Sodexo District Manager for Nebraska Ron Roling and Hastings College Sodexo General Manager Tony Shepard will present the $1000 check to HC graduate student and Food 4 Thought co-president Kelsea Jones, Auburn, Neb., and Hastings College Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Ron Chesbrough at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8 in Hazelrigg Student Union. Jones applied for the Sodexo grant with assistance from Dr. Chesbrough.

The Hastings College Food 4 Thought program currently sends out 45 backpacks filled with food that feeds more than 120 children in the community each weekend. The program, which serves Lincoln, Longfellow, Alcott and Morton elementary schools, runs entirely off donations and grant monies received.

The Sodexo Foundation awards several grants annually to similar backpack food programs across the nation. Sodexo is the food service provider for Hastings College. This year the Sodexo Foundation will distribute a total of $43,000 to 23 Sodexo-supported programs.

Hastings College Food 4 Thought will hold its first annual Soup and Cinnamon Roll Supper 12-3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6 at the Hastings College Kiewit Gym. There will be entertainment, a raffle and silent auction. Donations to the program are accepted at Food 4 Thought, P.O. Box 1662, Hastings, NE 68902. Support a family for a semester ($75) or for an entire year ($150).

The Hastings College Food 4 Thought program received the Student Commendation in Service Learning from the Midwest Consortium of Service Learning in Higher Education and was recognized as the Nebraska Outstanding Community Service Project of 2008 by Sally Ganem, spouse of Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman.

Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named 75th Best Value College in the nation and #1 in Nebraska by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2010 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s.