On a rainy Thursday morning in October, a crowd of determined New Yorkers gathered outside of City Hall in lower Manhattan to show their support for serving breakfast as part of the school day for New York City kids. To be honest, when we woke up that morning and saw how dreadful the weather was, we weren’t sure anyone would show up.
But a little wind and rain doesn’t stop New York.
School breakfast can change lives. Research shows when a child eats breakfast, they do better in math, attend school more often and are more likely to graduate, powering them for a successful future.
That’s why we’re pushing so hard for serving breakfast during the school day. Serving breakfast during homeroom or after the first bell means hungry kids can eat without the stigma of their classmates knowing they don’t have enough food at home. It means busy morning schedules and transportation delays won’t stand between an empty stomach and a focused mind.
“We have the will, we have the ability and we have to make breakfast happen for New York kids.”
Steve Levin represents parts of Brooklyn on the New York City Council, and has been a tireless advocate for serving breakfast during the school day. “This will take some time to implement,“ Levin said. “We need to get started now. Today is a major step in that direction.”
Because even though breakfast is free to all kids in New York City public schools, less than one-quarter are actually eating the meal that fuels their day. New York City is the largest school district in the country, yet when measured against the nation’s other urban districts, it’s in last place for feeding hungry kids breakfast.
Some amazing chefs braved the rain for New York kids too, including Laurence Edelman (chef and co-owner of Left Bank in New York’s West Village), Jason Roberts (chef, author and a longtime supporter of No Kid Hungry), and Bill Telepan (chef and owner of Telepan, as well as the executive chef for New York‘s ‘Wellness in the Schools’ program). All three are champions for kids in need, and have helped raise awareness of the school breakfast campaign.
If you’re a resident of New York City, add your voice. Sign our petition at http://nycbreakfast.org letting Mayor de Blasio know that every kid in the city deserves a healthy breakfast to start their day.
