New York City Public Schools and No Kid Hungry NY Honor This Year’s “NYC Hunger Heroes” and City’s Food Education Champions

  • Posted: Mon May 12, 2025

Dedicated Cooks, Food Service Workers, and Aides Serve Nearly One Million New York City Students Each Day. Food Education Champions Help Students Develop Life-Long Healthy and Informed Habits.

Photos of the event are available here

NEW YORK –New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) and No Kid Hungry New York today celebrated 52 “NYC Hunger Heroes” and Food Education Champions – outstanding professionals dedicated to providing our young people with delicious and nutritious school meals. Each of today’s honorees awarded by No Kid Hungry New York was nominated by leadership from each of the city's school districts and Office of Food and Nutrition food service administration teams, including inspectors and compliance professionals. First introduced last year, this year's honorees include 14 Food Education champions, whose work across the city is focused on educating students on how to make informed, nutritious choices and ensure they develop lifelong, healthy habits.

“From feeding our communities during the pandemic to making sure our youngest New Yorkers have nutritious meals, our food service workers are some of the most dedicated individuals in our city,” said Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “I am honored to have the chance to celebrate today’s hunger heroes, and I thank them on behalf of school communities across the city for their dedication to our students.”

“Dedicated cafeteria staff can change the lives of hundreds of kids in a school each day. They often know each student’s name and favorite foods, and provide a friendly face alongside a nutritious meal,” said Rachel Sabella, Director of No Kid Hungry New York. “These awards are our way of recognizing those Hunger Heroes who go above and beyond, oftentimes behind the scenes, to feed students - and the lifelong impact they’re having on our families and our communities.”

In 2017, New York City expanded no-cost school meals to all students in all schools. Ensuring that every student has access to healthy meals in schools is essential not only in supporting student success in the classroom, but on a larger scale, combatting childhood hunger in our communities across all five boroughs. This year’s Hunger Heroes include District 26’s Francisco Rodriguez, who stepped up during an unexpected gas outage to provide kids with hot, nutritious meals at MS 67, and District 29’s Edward Artemus, who teaches his PS 176 students the importance of composting and recycling in the cafeteria.

“A healthy future starts when our kids can make well-informed decisions about their own well-being,” said Mayor's Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “Our dedicated food service workers and food educators serve a vital role in ensuring students have delicious, nutritious meals to eat and the knowledge necessary to make healthy choices beyond the cafeteria. I’m proud to honor our Hunger Heroes and Food Education Champions who are going above and beyond to set our children up for success.”

No Kid Hungry New York’s 2025 poll showed worrying signs of hunger rising in the city, with 52 percent of households reporting taking on additional debt due to the rising cost of food. With more than 270,000 children in New York City facing hunger—one in four kids—these heroes who plan, prepare and serve school meals, are on the front lines of the City’s hunger crisis.

 2025 NYC Hunger Heroes

 Manhattan

  • District 1: Nicole Genao
  • District 2: Margarita Almonte
  • District 3: Carol Cobos
  • District 4: Cecilia Freytes
  • District 5: Kwanmane Brown
  • District 6: Ruth Duran Ramirez

 Bronx

  • District 7: Teofilo Duran Garcia
  • District 8: Nuvia Norales
  • District 9: Philistia King
  • District 10: Stephen Ali
  • District 11: Derrick Peart
  • District 12: Maureen Anderson

 Brooklyn

  • District 13: James Adams
  • District 14: Michelle Bailey
  • District 15: Leonel Mercedes
  • District 16: Aldona John
  • District 17: Calvin Forde
  • District 18: Everton Pinnock
  • District 19: Margarita Nunez
  • District 20: Malka Jehan
  • District 21: Anna Matera
  • District 22: Stephenie Hunte       
  • District 23: Joy Thomas
  • District 32: Yolanda Castillo

 Queens

  • District 24: Rosa Astudillo
  • District 25: Ronny Carvajal
  • District 26: Francisco Rodriguez
  • District 27: Caresta Martin
  • District 28: Chrisula Sartzetakis
  • District 29: Edward Artemus
  • District 30: Josephine Spatola

 Staten Island

  • District 31: James Durazzo

 Central Office

  • Sherif Ibrahim
  • Jacqueline Mills
  • Kecia Brown
  • Richard Singh
  • Peter Fu
  • Elaine McGill-Diggs

 2025 Food Education Champions:

  • Andrea Arist Neequaye
  • Lauryn Arena
  • Able Jackson
  • Susan Achorn
  • Julie Chau-Lau
  • Deannie Duncanson
  • Eileen McManus
  • Robert Markuske
  • Lou Lahana
  • Angela Everett
  • Regina DiBella
  • Daniela Roebuck
  • Cynthia Kennedy
  • Janelle Devine