MEMBER FOCUS
Nutrition Service Workers
Real heroes wear aprons
by David Ngô
Like many meal programs, Paula's Tillema's team provided meals to students with a drive-thru service during shelter-in-place.
There is no group more crucial in the fight against student food insecurity than nutrition service workers. Recognizable by their distinct hairnets and bib aprons, these classified school employees are a lifeline for communities who depend on school meals.
“The experience I had during the pandemic is seeing how strong the community was and how we can react to any emergency or situation.”
- Elisa Sanchez, food services lead with Franklin-McKinley Chapter 502
Like many CSEA members, Elisa Sanchez, a food services lead from Franklin-McKinley Chapter 502, works in one of those communities. When families affected by the economic impacts of the past two years needed food, Sanchez and her team stepped up. “The experience I had during the pandemic is seeing how strong the community was and how we can react to any emergency or situation,” said Sanchez who serves as a union steward and site rep among other roles. “It was great seeing families come and pick up food every single day. We are happy to do it.”
For some members working in food services, supply shortages have only made the job more demanding. A National School Nutrition Association survey revealed a wide range of pandemic supply chain issues such as food items being discontinued or supplies not being readily available in sufficient quantities. School meal programs today are being stretched thin, but CSEA members working in food services remain steadfast by doing what is necessary to continue feeding their students and community. Paula Tillema is one of many workers who never stopped providing meals when they were needed most. As a cafeteria lead, she knows firsthand about the current state of school meal programs.
Elisa Sanchez (center) is a lead for the Nutrition Services team at Franklin McKinley Elementary.
Newport-Mesa 18 member Lin Aldrich distributes food wearing her Everyday Heroes cape during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The most challenging task is making sure we have enough food for all the kiddos and that the quality is there. We’ve been fortunate not too many things have been shorted. If it is, we make it work with something else,” said Tillema, who also sits on the negotiating committee for Lucia Mar Chapter 275. “The kids are excited to get the meals we serve. We hear a lot that ‘this is my favorite!’ The best part of the job is seeing their smiling faces.”
“The most challenging task is making sure we have enough food for all the kiddos and that the quality is there. We’ve been fortunate not too many things have been shorted. If it is, we make it work with something else.”
- Paula Tillema, cafeteria lead with Lucia Mar Chapter 275
Federal pandemic waivers have allowed schools to serve all students free meals during the 2021-22 school year. California has taken it a step further by becoming the first state to introduce a free universal meal program, set to begin during the 2022-23 school year.
CSEA’s support of SB 364, the “Free School Meals For All” bill, introduced by State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), reflects a shared sentiment among members who believe no child should go hungry. Read more about the free meals for all program in the November/December 2021 issue of Focus Magazine. But nutrition service teams are also getting smaller these days. Rising wages from competing restaurants have pulled many away from school cafeterias, which begs the question: What motivates CSEA members to keep working in school kitchens? “As soon as the pandemic started, I didn’t stop working because it’s my commitment to my kids,” said Sanchez. “It was where I needed to be and they need me here, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
Classified employees from Monterey-JC Crumpton hand out food and supplies to students during the coronavirus pandemic.
Child Nutrition staff at Willow Cove Elementary start early to serve over 200 students.
Heroes are defined as individuals who, in the face of danger, confront adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. In the pandemic’s early days, CSEA food service workers continued to work in person while pioneering new concepts such as drive-thru meal pickups and working with transportation colleagues to deliver meals via school bus.
Today, they flex their strengths by doing what they have always done – ensuring no student learns on an empty stomach.
“The best part of feeding the kids is knowing that no child will have to be hungry when they should be focused on learning,” said Deborah Ortiz, chapter president of Roseville Elementary Chapter 475, who works as a nutrition services delivery driver and is also a member of the California School Nutrition Association.
As we turn the page on another calendar year, students learning in 2022 know they have the support of classified staff to get back on track. And if they ever need a superhero, all they need to do is head to the cafeteria.
“The favorite part of my job is seeing the faces of the kids. When they're happy eating their lunches and talking to each other,” Sanchez said. “Kids come up to me, some called me mom, some call me grandma and I love them. They're my kids.”
