On June 16, No Kid Hungry New York joined with New York City Public Schools to celebrate the 2026 New York City Hunger Heroes — dedicated members of the Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) who work every day to provide breakfast, lunch, after-school and summer meals to students in the nation’s largest school district. This year’s celebration included cooks, food service managers, school lunch helpers, and many more heroes around New York City!
This annual celebration recognizes the essential role school food professionals play in supporting student health, learning, and well-being in New York City. From preparing and serving more than 850,000 meals a day to creating welcoming cafeteria environments, OFNS staff are a critical part of the school community and help ensure that students are nourished and ready to learn.
The event brought together partners and leaders committed to advancing child nutrition across New York City. Speakers included New York City Schools Chancellor, Kamar H. Samuels; New York City Council Education Chair, Eric Dinowitz; Director of No Kid Hungry, New York, Rachel Sabella; Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, Kate MacKenzie, and President of DC 37, Shaun Francois. The program was truly a celebration of school meals and the “Hunger Heroes” bringing them to kids each day!
Now in its fifth year, the Hunger Heroes celebration continues to be a meaningful opportunity to recognize the frontline staff who make school meals possible. In a city where 1 in 4 children face hunger, their work is vital to ensuring children have consistent access to the food they need to thrive.
Learn more about this year’s Hunger Heroes here.
