Dawn Parsons, Food Service Director, Sullivan BOCES

“When I was young and growing up in New Jersey, my father's company went on strike. During that time he started his own business as a diesel mechanic. We didn't have much, to say the very least- from turning on and off the hot water heater, to my mother hiding the Free/Reduced meal application from my father- he would have been mortified if he knew.

I was in 8th grade then, in a new building - the High School. The place where all three of our Elementary buildings merged from three very different parts of our small town. The Lunch Ladies in my school knew our family was struggling. They took me under their wings and made sure I had breakfast and lunch everyday. They asked about my family, my grandparents, even my dogs. They knew when I had a big test coming up, or when one of the other kids- more well off than I was- would pick on me about being a fat kid, a poor kid, or my clothes not being of the "latest and greatest" and most likely not in the best shape they could be.

The Lunch Ladies never worried about me not having my bright green "FREE" ticket in my hand to get my meals, and often times would just plug numbers into the register when some of the other kids were around and giving me "the looks.”. I am not going to lie, the first time I saw it happen I felt paralyzed- I knew I didn't have any money, and I knew I had calculated everything I could get on my tray. But when I looked up, Miss Josie must have seen my worry. She just threw me a wink and a smile, patted my arm and told me to have a great day, Dawn Marie. They called me by my name. My first AND middle name. I felt special and loved.

As the years went on my relationships with the Lunch Ladies grew. Now I knew their families, their Grandchildren, and their pups. I often was brought in specially to meet their new staff or a visitor of theirs. I helped the ladies when they got a little behind on simple tasks. I was just a young teen at the time, but I too knew when they were stressed and offered to help as they had always done for me. Many times I would jump on the serving line and help feed my friends - and loved every minute of it. I loved being able to give food to kids like me. I loved laughing with those kids, helping them feel respected, helping them feel worthy.

**Treasured teacup and saucer gifted to Dawn from her high school Lunch Ladies.**

My Lunch Ladies were the first ones I showed my acceptance letter to Sullivan County Community College. They all hugged me. We all cried together. They made me a cake. They were so proud of me, and in turn I was proud of myself for the first time ever really.

The day I graduated from High School my Lunch Ladies gave me my most prized possession to this day. It's a simple teacup and saucer from Metuchen High School (pictured). They also all signed a handwritten note with a crisp $1.00 bill scotch taped to it that said "If you never spend this dollar, you'll never be broke". I've had my cup proudly displayed everywhere I have lived since that day but unfortunately the paper has been lost in transitions of my life, so technically I never spent it. That's a good thing.

So the reason as to "why I do what I do" is pretty simple. The message from my Lunch Ladies still stays in my heart, and with that I absolutely know that I learned my most valuable lessons in that particular kitchen: Food Means Love and all kids need to just need to be loved. I have lived by that principle ever since.”

Kristen Huffman, School Lunch Manager, Monticello Central School District

“There is a part in the food space that has gotten away from the original meaning behind food. We have gotten to the point of artificially curating food that does not provide nutritious value to our lives anymore; and lacks conversation behind knowing where our food comes from, the cycle from getting it from the farm to our mouths, and what it does for us daily. But most importantly making it taste good and having the stomach full for every child that walks through these doors.

The brain and the gut go hand in hand. If the gut is disturbed by something a child ate or did not eat, the brain is not going to function to its highest potential. A student needs nutrients that are going to help keep them going every day throughout class, for their next sports game, to play their instrument, or sing in choir, to then this goes all the way down to possibly working a job after school.

Unfortunately, there are many families that cannot provide food for their children that is nutrient dense, let alone almost no meals at all.

**Taste testing with Kristen (right) at lunch in Monticello.**

I got into this space to hopefully become an advocate for children when they can’t advocate for themselves. They have parents, government officials, etc. telling them what they can and cannot have or they just don’t have the resources to have it on their table at home. Media outlets have created fear mongering around what foods are good or bad for you which pushes children away from food as well.

I want to give students a different understanding of school food in hopes they are taken care of every day on our watch when they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Or for the students who are very conscious on what they eat because of pressures from society or their peers, I want the food they choose to make them feel good rather than choose not to eat at all.

Food has been in my life since I was a little girl, pretending I was Ina Garten or Emeril with my live cooking show in my kitchen/dining room during the summer talking to my “audience” but really no one. Hahahaha, but also watching how my Grandma and my Aunt, who is a fantastic baker, cooked for others to make them feel better. That then turned into my love language of when in doubt, cook it out and give those goodies to others. I almost never hold onto my own baked good and will choose cooking for someone else elaborately over myself any day.

Food brings community, Food brings comfort, Food brings safety, Food is creativity, and Food is love.

I am still trying to find the secret to this new role I am in and how to showcase this and make it a greater understanding to the students, parents and administrators. I continue to learn more about food service every day, whether it is in a restaurant, hotel, resort, grocery store, or school. WE ARE ESSENTIAL. Lunch Ladies are doing the work that so many people refuse to do but are making a difference in a child’s life whether they know it or not. Lunch Ladies are essential.”