The way I figure it, I've worked at St. Agnes Cafeteria since
1998, at least that's the earliest pay roll stubs I can find. Those early
days I worked as the "pot scrubber", working when our baby girl was
in preschool and kindergarten My days of working alternated to two and
three days a week as she got older. And as each new baby boy was born I
would take leave until they were in the same preschool/kindergarten schedule.
It was ten years (almost eleven now)ago that I became an official five day a
week employee, so I have some time invested in that place.
This past November, of 2012 an opportunity arose and my co-worker
and I took over the actual running of this cafeteria. Its been a lot of
hard work, challenges and disappointments but ultimately breakfast is
being served to approximately 80 children daily and lunch to an average of
about 125 each day as well. As each year passes, new regulation are
implemented, new standards created, more paperwork, more computer work all in
the name of progress for the school lunch program.
So time marches on, administrative decisions are made and the new school year will find the school cafeteria being managed by an outside food vendor. I'm still working out how I feel about this. There are only so many hands to consider in this matter. On one hand (if you're counting), how dare you take away an institution that has been in operation for I don't really know how long. Its not broken, meals have been prepared, bills paid, salaries paid, Work Comp insurance paid and repair bills being met, all handled out of that hot and ill equipped kitchen.
But there is the other hand that says, finally, let someone else handle the orders, the planning, the scheduling. Let someone else face the parents who are convinced they could do it better, healthier and oh so much "greenier". Just tell me when to be there, how to do it and when I'm done, I'm done.
Of course there is the "other hand" that is waving like crazy over here. Wait, maybe it is time, time to move on to another phase of working here. While someone else can perhaps do it better, I can still be here to do what apparently I love to do. I love to be around food (obviously, ask my Weight Watcher leader) and I really love to be around these kids, mine included. With that in mind, stay tuned, time will tell how this all plays out.
