While students are at home protecting themselves from COVID-19, the cafeteria workers at Lugo get up every morning and head to do their own work on campus in spite of the virus.

Many changes were made so all the employees in the cafeteria could come back to work but of course, it has not been the same since the COVID-19 pandemic. Miss. Linda, the cafeteria manager, has implemented the new procedures in light of the pandemic. She shares what has changed, how she and her team are dealing with these changes, and what keeps her and the team motivated to continue their work.

They are provided with “necessary PPE- Personal Protective Equipment” to protect themselves and the families receiving the lunches from the virus. The health of the workers is a number 1 priority since they are handling the food that is distributed to families. So they make sure that all the worker’s temperatures are taken, facemasks are worn, and gloves are on at all times. They also sanitize and disinfect their workplace every day multiple times a day.

Miss. Linda explains the process of putting together meals. First thing in the morning they clean their stations and go on to bag all the cold food items. If the food is in sealed packages it is brought to the “proper temperature” and put in the warming unit until serving time. Unpackaged food is cooked, put in its proper containers, and packaged in lunch bags.

Next, they take out the prepared bags for the day, they log all the temperatures for the food, and they roll out warming units so they are ready to serve. They hand the meals through the windows of cars while both parties wear masks. Serving usually goes to 1 o clock. After they are done they go on to record the amount of food served. They continue the process of cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing once again so they are ready for the next day.

Miss. Linda explains how she is not worried about the virus when she goes to work because of all the precautions that are taken to maintain the health of the workers. She is instead more motivated to go to work every day and serve her community. She loves her job and says, “This the closest to normal that some students get. They get a break from the computer and get to see a friendly face they know, the parents also get a break. Everyone is so grateful and kind- that is motivation enough!”

She exclaims that working as an essential worker has been an absolute “blessing, a true joy, and very rewarding.” When she hands out lunches she sees that the students are filled with joy to be getting their lunches. The students have shown their gratitude by giving the lunch ladies: drawings, cards, and thankyou notes. She says, “The best feeling is their smiling faces as well as the thankfulness expressed by their parents.” Miss. Linda explains how she knows it’s a hard time for many families because of so many people being let go from their jobs due to the pandemic. So being able to serve food to so many families that rely on school lunches has been very rewarding for her.

All these amazing women get up every day and serve a lot of families in the community while keeping a smile on their own faces. They have taken the necessary precautions to be able to do this honorary work. Don Antonio Lugo is thankful to have such dedicated workers that represent the school.