All across America, kids are headed back to school. But millions of children in the United States are living with hunger. For these children, food is the most important school supply.
In California, 1 in 7 kids is facing hunger amidst the challenging hardships of the last several years. But there are stories of hope. Among them are the Hunger Heroes who have worked tirelessly to ensure kids and teens in California and throughout the country get the healthy food they need to thrive in and out of the classroom.
No Kid Hungry recognizes and celebrates the unsung Hunger Heroes who are making significant contributions in the fight to end child hunger in our communities across California.
The Rialto Village – A Community of Collaboration
The Rialto Village is a community of mutual respect, support and collaboration where every single Rialto Unified School District (RUSD) staff work shoulder to shoulder with creativity and passion to ensure kids and their families live without hunger or poverty.
As described by Fausat Rahman-Davies, lead agent of child nutrition services, “Seeing the growth and resiliency of my staff and team…It blows my mind that on a whim, we recalibrated our entire nutrition program and did not miss a single day of providing meals to our students.”
Through heat, wind and rain, Rahman-Davies’ team provides cooked meals made from scratch at no cost to Rialto families, which ensure students receive a complete nutritious meal throughout their school day.
If Dedication Were In Human Form – Meet Eduardo Jimenez
“We all enjoy what we do and give great respect to all those helping to give back to their community and those in need. I feel thankful to be part of this team.” -Eduardo Jimenez
Jimenez is a warehouse delivery driver for RUSD’s Child Nutrition Services and for 15 years, Jimenez has ensured that school sites and students have the meals and resources they need daily.
“Our drivers are on a very specific schedule with little to no wiggle room at times. Eduardo knows his routes and routine very well,” said Rahman-Davies. “Eduardo contributes to the team by doing his job proficiently and accurately. He jumps in to assist the next driver to keep our operations running smoothly.”
“Eduardo is an extremely hard worker who understands the importance of what he does for our kids,” said Mike Devlin, nutrition warehouse supervisor. “He always volunteers to work any additional hours to support our mission of ensuring that no kids go hungry in our community.”
Jimenez also volunteers in the RUSD’s Keystone Cafe Food Pantry events that are held once a month to help the community. At these events, members of the Rialto community can drive through and receive a food box, which has included fresh produce, bread, cereal, pantry boxes, meats, cheeses and more.
“He is on hand delivering the pantry items as well as loading pantry items into our families’ cars,” said Rahman-Davies. “This dedication has a huge positive impact on our community, as we typically provide hundreds of families with pantry goods.”
Eduardo is a one-of-a-kind Hunger Hero. We appreciate him and thank him for his level of dedication and commitment to the Rialto Village!
At No Kid Hungry, we believe every single person has a strength to share, and together, we can ensure every kid is equipped to succeed and thrive in the new school year.
Join us in celebrating and thanking Hunger Heroes like Eduardo Jimenez, and all the teachers and school staff who feed and care for kids day in and day out.
Ways You Can Help:
— #ThankHungerHeroes: We invite you to join No Kid Hungry to celebrate and thank school nutrition staff, teachers, and the many other school employees who feed and care for our kids. Add your note of thanks HERE.
— Donate: 1 dollar can help provide 10 meals for kids in need. Your support will help us fund school meal programs all over California and the country and help us advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need.
— Speak up for kids: 1 in 8 kids in the United States is affected by hunger. Tell your lawmaker to protect CalFresh/SNAP and other federal nutrition programs that feed kids.
Last Reviewed: October 4, 2023