Peekskill’s Andrew Weisman Wins National Breakfast Hero Contest

The national anti-hunger campaign No Kid Hungry has announced five winners of its 2018 Breakfast Hero contest, and Peekskill City School District’s Director of Food Services Mr. Andrew Weisman is one of them.

The new contest was launched in March during National School Breakfast Week to celebrate the champions who make school breakfast possible for kids in need. The winners include educators and administrators from school districts across the country who received nominations from local community members.

Mr. Weisman joins four other winners from Texas, Virginia, Washington and Tennessee. Each winner received a prize package from No Kid Hungry, and a banner to be displayed in their school.

“Andrew is a game changer and such a tremendous asset and advocate for our students,” said Robin Zimmerman, Assistant Superintendent for Business at Peekskill City School District. “We have fresh cracked eggs, cheese and meat sandwiches daily for breakfast in all five of our buildings. Andrew puts a lot of time and effort into working with the staff and community to ensure our students have the best meal offerings possible.”

Weisman was happy to receive the award, and thanked those who have helped him realize his dreams for Peekskill’s food program.

“I am extremely honored to be one of only five people nationwide awarded this wonderful accolade,” Weisman said. “While it's only my name being recognized for this achievement, the success of our program is the result of many people's hard work. I have a tremendous staff that works tirelessly each day to make sure every student is fed the best possible meal we can provide. Perhaps my biggest asset other than my staff, is the support of our district administrators and our Board of Education who share my vision of bringing cooking back into school kitchens and serving real food made from scratch, instead of the pre-packaged processed products that most school districts continually serve.”

“I am truly blessed to have such great support throughout this district and community and it's the reason why I am able to be awarded the breakfast hero title by No Kid Hungry,” Weisman added.

Research shows that hunger has long-term ramifications on children, including lower test scores, weaker attendance rates, and a higher risk of hospitalizations and chronic diseases. No Kid Hungry and its partners focus on school breakfast as a critical way to end childhood hunger.

Accessing traditional cafeteria breakfast service can be challenging for many kids. Breakfast After the Bell provides breakfast in a way that is more convenient and accessible to students, resulting in more kids starting the day ready to learn.

No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. To learn more about No Kid Hungry, visit their website at: NoKidHungry.org