The May 31 lunch will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ville Grill, corner of Third St. and Brandeis Ave., Belknap Campus.
Sodexo鈥檚 UofL management team organized the event to recognize and thank members of Kentucky National Guard鈥檚 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, based in Louisville. The brigade is part of the largest mobilization of Kentucky National Guard troops since World War II.
Community members who want to share a meal with the soldiers can attend the event and purchase lunch for $7.80 (or $7.50 for students, faculty and staff who use their campus meal plan flex points). Lunch items typically include deli sandwiches, burgers and grill items, a full salad bar, pizza and desserts.
The event is part of Sodexo鈥檚 , a community service project Sodexo staff around the globe usually perform each April to raise money, donate food and serve meals to the hungry. Sodexo administrators at UofL opted to hold the event in May to be closer to the soldier鈥檚 time of deployment.
The company is committed to stopping hunger and seeks to identify community outreach programs where they can make a difference, said Matti Verder, Sodexo鈥檚 resident district manager who directs dining services at UofL.
鈥淲ith more than 200 employees working at UofL we can make a pretty big impact on the campus and surrounding community,鈥 said Verder. 鈥淚n the past few years we鈥檝e had can drives, provided food for Dare to Care, organized deliveries to the homeless and forged partnerships with student groups so we can reach even more deeply into the neediest parts of the community.鈥
