Cafeteria staff across the district go forth to serve every day by providing healthy meals for growing minds. Bradfield cafeteria staff, led by Susan Graeber, serve over 550 students daily through careful planning and execution. Over the years, the Bradfield team has taken their dedication to service one step further by providing meals to the Austin Street Center throughout the school year and every Thanksgiving. The center is a nonprofit organization that provides services to individuals in Dallas who are homeless.
Graeber and her team began serving those in need thanks to efforts led by the Bradfield PTA. The PTA had been producing meals for Austin Street out of their kitchens at home until Bradfield parent Rachel Steinke approached the cafeteria staff to see if there was room for collaboration. Since then, Bradfield cafeteria staff have provided hundreds of meals to the organization. This Thanksgiving, their prepared meals will serve approximately 300 individuals.
HPISD is thankful to the Bradfield cafeteria staff and appreciates how these individuals arrive early each school day to begin food preparations for the Broncos. This team with approximately 115 collective years in service to Bradfield students - Susan Graeber (31), Deborah Nelson (34), Joyce Wallace (31) and Jamie Rodriguez (18) - continues to make an impact at their campus by serving its students and teachers. Graeber said, “Seeing kids come through the line excited for the simple things like pies, chicken and rolls, it does the heart good knowing that you are making a difference.”
The Bradfield cafeteria staff would like to wish the HPISD community a safe and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.