Breakfast Spotlight: How Paramount Unified’s Hunger Heroes Are Tackling Hunger With Breakfast After the Bell
Serving South Los Angeles Kids With a Healthy Meal to Start Their School Day
Hunger Heroes Are the Heart of Fighting Hunger
Because of their resolute commitment to fighting childhood hunger, No Kid Hungry teamed up with Norms Restaurants to honor local educators and school staff who have gone above and beyond to ensure kids have access to healthy school meals, both in and out of the classroom.
We are honored to recognize two of Wesley Gaines Elementary’s very own, Veronica Flores and Anna Yasahura, who will receive NORMS Restaurants’ signature all-day dinner classic, the Bigger Better Breakfast for one year! In addition, their students will receive a NORMS kids eat free voucher. Learn more about our hunger heroes:
Anna Yasuhara, Principal
Anna Yasuhara is a dedicated school administrator at Gaines Elementary School, whose proactive leadership in implementing the second chance breakfast program at her school has earned her the title of Hunger Hero. She championed this initiative to ensure all students have equitable access to a nutritious morning meal, recognizing its direct impact on their health and learning readiness. Recognizing its impact on student health and learning, she championed the initiative despite operational hurdles and concerns. Anna’s unwavering commitment, problem-solving, collaboration and innovation, significantly increased breakfast participation and student well-being, making her truly deserving of this recognition.
Veronica Flores, Campus Safety Aide
Veronica Flores, a deeply cherished and indispensable member of the Gaines Elementary community in Paramount, California, is being recognized as a Hunger Hero. Her unwavering dedication to student nutrition goes far beyond mere compliance. She is celebrated for transforming the school’s nutrition program into a beacon of compassion and care, demonstrating a tireless and personal commitment to combating food insecurity. Her efforts ensure every child has the essential fuel they need to succeed both academically and personally.
NORMS Restaurants and No Kid Hungry teams celebrating Hunger Heroes
School Breakfast Changes Lives
Research continues to show that kids do better in school and in life when they start the day with a nutritious meal. The simple act of eating school breakfast benefits a child’s mood, motivation and the mental clarity necessary to learn.
While ALL students in California eat school breakfast and lunch at no cost, barriers still persist. Issues beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation, lack of access to health care, or stigma, continue to force students to go without breakfast. Hunger can lead to chronic absenteeism (missing 15 or more school days for any reason), difficulty learning, as well as increased behavioral and health problems.
Eating a school breakfast can reduce chronic absenteeism by as much as 6% and improve a student’s success in reading and math. Additionally, it helps teachers have calmer classrooms and there are fewer trips to the nurse’s office. Making school breakfast a seamless part of the school day by serving it after the bell can also have a huge impact at home.
Paramount Unified School District has been a longstanding partner of No Kid Hungry and continually focuses on student access to breakfast through breakfast after the bell programming and centering student engagement and voice.
What Is Breakfast After the Bell?
There are three breakfast after the bell models that schools can adopt to ensure their scholars eat breakfast and start their school day ready to learn. The second chance breakfast model along with breakfast in the classroom, or grab-and-go to the classroom allow students who missed breakfast in the morning to have a nutritious meal to eat with their peers.
When approached by Celeste Calubaquib, director of nutrition services, to launch the second chance breakfast program at Wesley Gaines Elementary School, Principal Anna Yasahura did not hesitate. Implementing the breakfast after the bell program—specifically the second chance breakfast mode—has enabled the school to provide nutritious morning meals that help students start their day ready to learn.
“Providing students with a second chance to enjoy breakfast, especially for those who may not arrive in time for the early breakfast period, gives them the opportunity to fuel their minds, refocus, and maximize their learning. The increase in participation we’ve seen reflects how meaningful and impactful this program is for our students and school community.” – Celeste Calubaquib, Director of Nutrition Services, Paramount Unified School District
“In partnership with No Kid Hungry, we’re proud to stand behind the everyday heroes who make a difference in their communities. At NORMS, recognizing and celebrating our ‘Hunger Heroes’ is more than a program—it’s a commitment to giving back. By treating our heroes to a weekly Bigger Better Breakfast for a year and providing each nominee 25 complimentary kids meal certificates, we hope to extend the impact of their generosity and help ensure more families have access to the meals they deserve.” -Ingrid Martinez, VP of Marketing, NORMS Restaurants, LLC
“We at No Kid Hungry California are deeply grateful to Wesley Gaines Elementary for hosting us to honor Veronica Flores and Anna Yasuhara. Partnering with NORMS Restaurants to recognize these vital school staff members—who are the backbone of our community—has been a privilege. Their dedication to ending childhood hunger, along with the support from NORMS through meals and certificates, underscores the essential impact of school nutrition on student success.” -Jonelle Williams-Pagan, Senior Program Manager, No Kid Hungry
Ways You Can Help
You can ensure kids have the nutrition they need to thrive in and out of the classroom and reach their full potential in a variety of ways:
- Donate. $1 can help provide 10 meals* for kids. Your support will help us fund meal programs all over the country and help us advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need.” *Donations help support programs that feed kids; No Kid Hungry does not provide individual meals. Meal equivalencies vary.Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar
- Advocate for kids: Reach out to your elected officials and ask them to do more to end childhood hunger. Tell your lawmaker to advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need.
- Dine and Shop: Brands across the country are partnering with No Kid Hungry to donate a portion of their sales to help kids get the meals they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond like giving the gift of NORMS. Help support No Kid Hungry by rounding up your check when you visit NORMS Restaurants to help kids.
Last update: June 29, 2026
