MV cafeteria workers play a crucial role in the smooth operation of food delivery to staff and students. 

     These hard-working folks are responsible for feeding more than 1,300 students daily, and their dedication is evident as they begin each day with a cheerful character, though with every job comes its hardships.

     Mrs. Twila Mann, Head Cook, stated, “The hardest part would be the time frame we have to cook for over 1,200. We do hot breakfast then we have less than three hours to prepare for three lunches back to back.”

     Ms. Carmen Nabors, Cook, mentioned that the hardest part for her was, “Trying to get everything done in three hours.”

     The task of preparing food for over 1,300 students comes with its fair share of challenges

     “It does take time to cook for that many,” said Mrs. Marion Leahy, Cook.

     Mrs. Mann noted, “Some work we do the day before [is] prepping some cooked meat. There’s no way we could cook the meat the same day and put it all together in a three hour time frame to be ready at 10:40.”

     When preparing meals for every student at MV, it is reasonable to expect students to be polite and respectful towards the cooks.

     “I feel like most of the time some kids are very respectful and very polite, but there are some that make me wonder if their parents really know how disrespectful they are,” stated Ms. Akeelia Nabors, Cook.

     Ms. Carmen Nabors said that the students are, “Very polite.”

     Mrs. Mann mentioned that, “For the most part the students are great, most say thank you and are happy to get a good meal. However, there are always  those few that are not, when I see that behavior I usually talk to them and say I respect you, I’d like the same in return, most understand and are better.”

     Being a food service worker for MV has its positive and enjoyable moments.

     Mrs. Leahy stated that her favorite part of work is, “Having a wonderful work family and the bond with the kids.”

     Ms. Carmen Nabors noted that she loved, “The kids, and cooking.”

     Respect is deserved by every individual.

     Mrs. Mann stated, “For the most part yes [we do get respect], sometimes we hear comments from adults. and I always welcome anyone to come at 7 am and spend a day with us. It’s a lot of hard, fast paced work. It’s rewarding for us in the end to feed all our kids. That’s how we see the students, “Our Kids”.”

Ms. Akeelia Nabors stated that, “Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t [get respect].”

     One might wish that they had the capability to change one aspect of their job.

     Ms. Carmen Nabors responded, “No, just keep doing what I do.”

     “If I could change one thing about my job, if a coworker passes, there can be provisions made for us to attend if it’s during a school day,” stated Ms. Akeelia Nabors.

     Challenges are a part of everyday life, particularly in relation to work

     Mrs. Leahy mentioned that some hardships for her are, “Standing for so long,” and “Getting up at 5:00am.”

     “My least favorite part is when we are short handed. We have a staff of 11 people and someone is always out. Last year at the holidays we had 5 people and a sub. It was very hard to do the holiday meals, we make all of it homemade,” said Mrs. Mann.

     Every student at MV has their own preferences when it comes to food, whether they are positive or negative.

     Mrs. Mann stated, “Worse I’d say [would be] fish, but then some don’t try stuff because they’re uncertain. Like carrots for instance, it’s not just carrots, they have other yummy stuff so now kids are trying it and love them.”

     “[Their] favorite [is] nachos, popcorn chicken, hamburgers, and bosco sticks. [Their least favorite is] beans,” said Ms. Carmen Nabors.

     When one works with large quantities of food, it’s reasonable to question what becomes of the excess leftovers.

     “We try not to waste food, we usually learn about what or how much to cook. It’s trial and error at the first part of the year because we don’t know how many will be there. We don’t get a lunch count every day so we wing it,” mentioned Mrs. Mann.

     Ms. Akeelia Nabors stated, “We usually throw the leftovers away.”

     “We try to get the best count of how much to make,” said Mrs. Leahy.

     Our cafeteria workers here at MV make it their goal to ensure no individual goes hungry.

   Ms. Carmen Nabors mentioned that she wants to, “Make sure no child goes hungry, [and] feed them more.”

     Every day, our food service workers arrive in the morning to ensure that everyone in MV is well-fed and well taken care of; we can all agree that they are the true unsung heroes of MV.

     Mrs. Mann stated, “I’ve worked at MVTHS since 2020, so coming up on four years last January I was promoted to lead/head cook, I will say I love my job and especially the team I work with. We work as one. Each of us are essential to our department runs. I appreciate each one. Our main goal is making sure each person enjoys their meal. We love our kids, staff, and admin at MVTHS.”

     “I love my job and the people I work with,” said Mrs. Leahy.

     Ms. Akeelia Nabors noted, “One thing I would like to add is that I love my job, and my coworkers no matter what at the end of the day I can consider them my family, too.”