Denny's today announced the kickoff of the eighth annual Hungry for Education™ Scholarship Program. Through the program, Denny's will be awarding more than $50,000 in scholarships to deserving high school and college students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.
The Denny's Hungry for Education™ Scholarship Program has historically recognized and rewarded students who show initiative and creativity in the fight against childhood hunger. This year, however, in a world where Covid-19 is making uncertainty a reality, the Denny's Hungry for Education™ scholarship program is focused on bringing communities together. Partnering with leading non-profit minority advocacy organizations, Denny's has awarded $1.5 million in scholarships to deserving students who are difference makers in their local communities. This year, students can apply for Hungry for Education™ scholarships from September 9th through December 11th, 2020. For more information or to apply for a scholarship through one of Denny's partners, interested high school and college students can visit www.dennyshungryforeducation.com.
"Access to food and education are deciding factors when it comes to achieving economic stability. That's why Denny's is committed to helping end childhood hunger in America and to providing students the scholarships necessary to access higher education," said April Kelly-Drummond, Head of Diversity, Equality, Inclusion & Multicultural Engagement. "With the help of our generous partners, we're looking forward to recognizing and further empowering students who seek ways to eradicate childhood hunger in their local communities, and who can offer their ideas on how Denny's can continue to bring communities together."
"Denny's believes in the power of education and we are proud to recognize and reward the talented students fighting against childhood hunger in their own backyards," said Denny's President and CEO John Miller. "We remain committed to helping young people get the food and education they need to grow, learn and succeed—especially during this challenging time when so many young people could be at risk."
Denny's 2019 national scholarship winner, Kennedy LeJeune, used his Hungry for Education™ scholarship to help pay for his last year in law school, and on September 4, 2020, Kennedy was sworn in as a lawyer in Louisiana.
"Writing the essay for the scholarship really forces you to focus on real-world problems and makes you use your problem-solving skills in a very different way," said LeJeune. "When I wrote my essay, I had to consider what was feasible economically and how could it really help. I enjoyed the application process and playing out how my idea could be accomplished in the real world."
This year, Denny's is partnering with several nonprofit organizations on the national and local levels to award scholarships to eligible high school and college students for their ideas to help bring communities together. Partner organizations include but are not limited to:
"We are proud to once again partner with Denny's to provide much needed scholarships that will help students pursue their education," said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. "The Denny's Hungry for Education™ Scholarship Program offers unique opportunities for students to contribute their ideas on how to end childhood hunger."
For more information about Denny's commitment to diversity and the communities Denny's serves, go to https://www.dennys.com/diversity/.
ABOUT DENNY'S CORP.
Denny's Corporation is the franchisor and operator of one of America's largest full-service family restaurant chains, based on the number of restaurants. Denny's has approximately 1,700 franchised, licensed, and company restaurants around the world including 147 restaurants in Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Philippines, New Zealand, Honduras, the United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, Guam, Guatemala, the United Kingdom, Aruba, El Salvador, Indonesia and Aruba. For further information on Denny's, including news releases, please visit the Denny's website at www.dennys.com or the brand's social channels via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube.
