by Zach Lozevski
Greenfield School in Wilson, North Carolina, has experienced exceptional growth in the number of enrolled students in the past few years. To keep up with the growing demand, the cafeteria services have had to adjust accordingly. On a daily basis, the Greenfield food service prepares a hot breakfast and a diverse lunch menu for the students.
The cafeteria requires careful maintenance of inventory and quality inspections to meet the needs of the meal plan. The efforts by cafeteria faculty and administration often go unrecognized and unappreciated. It is important to acknowledge the efforts of the dedicated people that provide these amazing services.
The cafeteria at Greenfield is not a hap-hazard or make-shift operation. It is a well-organized facility that provides consistent and high-quality meals regularly. One of the key personnel behind the scenes is the cafeteria manager, Mrs. Vicki Whitehead. In addition to other responsibilities in the business office, Mrs. Whitehead performs many things for the cafeteria. Her duties include the quality inspection of food, compliance with health standards, and surveillance of food expiration dates.
The biggest challenge with her job has been meeting the needs of the increasing enrollment of students at Greenfield. According to Mrs. Whitehead herself, “My role has increased drastically due to the enrollment increase here at school. I do books, do payables, I do all the cash deposits and I run the cafeteria.” A long-standing and dedicated employee of Greenfield, Mrs. Vicki Whitehead, deserves our continued respect and gratitude. She has also been very amenable to the growing student body needs and recent Covid-19 challenges.
Another critical component of operating the cafeteria is food preparation. Ms. Shirley Barnes works daily as a dietary aide as well as a supervisor for producing meals from dawn to noon. One of the things that often goes unrecognized about Ms. Barnes and other cafeteria staff is the list of daily things to do. She must ensure that the cafeteria is sanitized, clean, and ready for students to use.
Ms. Barnes greatly appreciates her work environment at Greenfield and her supervisors, Mrs. Whitehead and Mrs. Addie Abby. She has verbalized how accommodating her supervisors have been when she first was employed. In her own words, “When I first came in, I made mistakes. And my supervisor, Vicky and my other supervisor Addie Abby, gave me great respect. They didn’t embarrass me. They just helped me along the way.” One of her favorite meals to make is chicken tenders with fries. Greenfield School has exceptional meal plans and high-quality foods due to the dedicated staff and quality of service.
Working behind the scenes in the Cafeteria at Greenfield School are many dedicated and committed personnel, such as Mrs. Vicki Whitehead and Mrs. Shirley Barnes. Their daily effort with the meal plans at Greenfield create a pleasant environment for the growing student body. They have also shown exceptional service during the past year with the Covid-19 pandemic. We owe them daily affirmation and gratitude for their work and lifelong service.
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