Public Employee Press: PEP Talk
NYC honors 32 Local 372 Hunger Heroes
Some comic book heroes wear capes and some, like the 32 real-life Hunger Heroes who are New York City Board of Education Employees Local 372 cooks, food service workers and aides, wear white aprons, hairnets and gloves.
Mayor Eric Adams, Schools Chancellor David C. Banks and No Kid Hungry New York honored 32 Department of Education essential employees on March 10 for working tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to feed public school children and anyone hungry in New York City.
As the coronavirus forced the City to shuttered public schools, hundreds of DOE kitchen workers in Local 372 stayed on the job preparing grab-and-go meals to fight hunger citywide. One in four children faces hunger in New York. In many cases public schools are a safety net for thousands of food insecure families who would otherwise go hungry.
“These dedicated Local 372 members are on the frontlines every day,” said Local 372 President Shaun D. Francois I, who is also president of DC 37. “They feed New York’s school kids, rolling up their sleeves to be vaccinated against this deadly virus to stay healthy as they feed others. They stay ready, preparing and providing healthy meals each school day during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve worked through the sweltering summers, through school breaks, school closures and holidays to make sure no child went hungry. It’s admirable that Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks have acknowledged their service to say ‘Thank you, great job!’”
“School workers who have gone above and beyond to ensure our children don’t go hungry have delivered for our children, day after day, because when our children eat right, we can help them live up to their potential, inside and outside the classroom,” said Mayor Adams. “These Hunger Heroes deserve our respect and gratitude.”
“Our Hunger Heroes are too often unsung heroes, but they are some of the most vital professionals in our school communities,” said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York. “No matter what challenges children may face at home, they can count on our Hunger Heroes to provide good, healthy meals to keep our kids strong and healthy.”
“With all the waste that occurs each and every day, no one should go hungry. Food is not a privilege, it’s a right, and starving for food is inhumane,” said Francois. “Feeding our school children is extremely important to their education because food feeds the mind. School food employees work hard to prepare nutritional meals to feed over one million children every school day. Now that’s heroism!”
Congratulations to the Hunger Heroes
Manhattan
Pedro Rivas, Senior School Lunch Helper — P.S. 140 Nathan Straus
Aretha Garner, Cook — International High School at Union Square
Brittany Saffold, School Food Service Manager T — P.S. 009 Sarah Anderson, West End Secondary School, The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers, P.S. 452
Sofia Rodriguez, School Lunch Aid/Cook — Central Park East High School
Snezhana Belja, School Food Service Manager — P.S. 046 Arthur Tappan, P.S. 194 Countee Cullen, Frederick Douglass Academy, Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School
Consuelo Caballero, School Lunch Assistant/Cook-in-Charge — P.S. 189
Bronx
Ana Blanco, Cook — Academy of Applied Mathematics and Technology
Gisell Ramirez, Senior School Lunch Aide/Head Cook — Archimedes Academy for Math, Science and Technology Applications
Patricia Lightfoot, School Lunch Helper — I.S. 339
Marixa Lopez, School Lunch Helper/Office Manager — Field Office 10, M.S 391
James Baker, Senior School Lunch Helper — P.S. 108 Philip J. Abinanti
Marjorie Coates, Senior School Lunch Aide/Cook — P.S. 211
Brooklyn
Glenys Gonzalez, Senior School Lunch Helper — P.S. 008 Robert Fulton
Allison Anderson, Senior School Lunch/Cook — P.S. 297 Abraham Stockton
Maria Rivera, Senior School Lunch Helper — The Maurice Sendak Community School, Brooklyn School of the Arts
Cherise Neal, School Food Service Manager — P.S. 005 Dr. Ronald McNair, Boys & Girls H.S., Research and Service High School, Nelson Mandela High School
Tyrone Joseph, Heavy Duty Person — Pathways in Technology Early College High School
Lezlie Johnston, School Lunch Aide — P.S. 115 Daniel Mucatel School
Albert Robinson, School Lunch Aide — W. H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School
Mohammed Uddin, Senior School Lunch Helper — P.S. 264 Bay Ridge Elementary School for the Arts
Terencia Hankins, School Lunch Aide — P.S. 288 Shirley Tanyhill
Sophia Davis, School Lunch Aide/Cook-in-Charge — P.S. 193 Gil Hodges
Yonnette Welcome, Senior School Lunch Aide — Brooklyn Collegiate: A College Board School
Luis Mendoza Jr., Cook — P.S. 376
Queens
Ruth Quizhpe, School Lunch Assistant/Cook — I.S. 061 Leonardo Da Vinci
Jessica Floratos, School Lunch Aide — P.S. 079 Francis Lewis
Lisa Fusco, School Food Service Manager — P.S. 041 Crocheron, M.S. 158 Marie Curie, P.S. 376, P.S. 213 The Carl Ullman School
Bella Tufano, Senior School Lunch Aide/Cook-in-Charge — P.S. 100 Glen Morris
Ophelia Rango, School Lunch Assistant/Cook — Hillcrest High School
Joel Baptiste, School Lunch Aide — Eagle Academy for Young Men III
Treza Ayoub, Senior School Lunch Aide/Cook-in-Charge — P.S. 149 Christa McAuliffe
Staten Island
Saffa Aboelenin, Senior School Lunch Aide — I.S. 007 Elias Bernstein
