School Administrators Association of New York State Honors Our Work to Strengthen and Expand Access to School Meals
Hunger Solutions New York has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Friend of Education Award by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). This award is given to an individual, group, or organization that has consistently contributed to the support and advancement of outstanding public education and the students of New York State.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from our valued partners at SAANYS,” said Andrés Vives, Executive Director of Hunger Solutions New York. “School administrators are true anti-hunger champions. Over our many years of partnership, we have been inspired by their commitment to ensure children’s access to nutrition at school and beyond. We look forward to continuing our advocacy together to strengthen and expand access to school meal programs while also ensuring families are connected with programs like SNAP and WIC to support food security at home. We—and New York’s school administrators—know the vital importance of nutrition for children’s health and academic success.”
Hunger Solutions New York works to maximize access to school meals through outreach and individualized assistance to school districts across New York State, helping schools strengthen their meal programs to reach more children. We also advocate for federal and state policies to improve school meal programs, most recently co-leading the Healthy School Meals for All New York Kids coalition of more than 290 organizations, including SAANYS, advocating for statewide universal free school meals. Last year, the coalition helped secure a historic state investment that expanded free school meals to more than 347,000 additional students across the state.
Hunger Solutions New York is proud to work with SAANYS members who are passionate about alleviating hardship for their students and families. We are committed to providing school administrators with best practices, resources, and strategies to expand access to federal nutrition assistance programs.
Hunger Solutions New York’s school meals program and policy specialists will join fellow 2024 award winners to be recognized at SAANYS’ annual awards celebration on May 3.
SAANYS represents nearly 22,000 school administrators, supervisors, and retiree leaders. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service, and support to the membership in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York State schools.
SAANYS is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
