No Kid Hungry Florida recognizes five individuals as 2026 ‘Summer Hunger Heroes’
Lee School District’s Ross among those honored
No Kid Hungry Florida has announced this year’s Summer Hunger Heroes, recognizing five inspiring individuals from across the state who have gone above and beyond to ensure every child in their community has access to healthy meals this summer.
These individuals are praised by their peers for their dedication, compassion and commitment to their community’s summer meal programs. These individuals have championed for flexible approaches to feeding kids, often identifying ways to enhance operations to ensure more families in need are reached.
The 2026 Summer Hunger Heroes include:
• Bonnie Ross, field manager at the School District of Lee County
• Constance Manning, site supervisor at Beth Page Missionary Baptist Church
• Gary Rudd, food service warehouse and maintenance technician at Union County School Board
• James Lykins, regional supervisor at Hillsborough County Public Schools
• Victoria Pipitone, warehouse packing supervisor at SKY Academy Englewood
“It is because of the hardwork and dedication of the individuals above, and others across our state, that more of Florida’s kids have access to healthy meals over the summer,” said Sky Beard, director of No Kid Hungry Florida. “Summer meal programs are no easy lift, but they make a significant impact in the lives of so many children across our state. We are entirely grateful for individuals like our Summer Hunger Heroes who are committed to ensuring no child goes to bed hungry.”
For children facing hunger, summer can be one of the hardest times of the year. The 2026 Summer Hunger Heroes played a significant role in improving the summer meal programs in their local communities, expanding access to more kids who need our support during the long summer months.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join the effort at NoKidHungry.org.