Fayette County High school nutrition manager Vickie Lindstrom serves up lunch with love for her kids.
Working with food was never in Lindstrom’s plans, and certainly not for the school she now considers home. She went to school the next county over where they didn’t like the Tigers.
“They were always a rival for us. I didn’t like them growing up,” she joked.
Lindstrom moved to Fayette with her family after they welcomed their son. She would volunteer every day at Brooks Elementary, where her children went. Her husband started his own business, and, while they waited on his insurance to start, she needed something. She was advised to work with the school system, and she took a flier on working in a cafeteria. Within about 6 months, she knew she found her calling.
“I planned on about a year, and we were able to get the insurance, but then I didn’t want to leave,” she remembered. “It just got it in my blood that first year. For some reason, I was meant to be a lunch lady. I believe that.”
The day starts really early, with Lindstrom arriving between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m. Breakfast is served at 8, and that is just the beginning of the day. They serve 750-800 every day for lunch.
“It’s just go go go til lunch time, and then it’s go go go till time to end,” she said. “There’s never down time, ever. It goes really fast.”
Lindstrom has been the School Nutrition Program manager at Fayette County High since 2014. She takes great pride in being a pivotal part of the Tiger Pride.
“There’s been a lot of change in 20 years, but it’s still great. I love it. I feel at home here,” she said. “This is my school. These are my kids.”
“The Honor Role,” an official podcast for Fayette County Public Schools, features employees, rotating through key stakeholders, including teachers, staff, nurses, custodians, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers. Join us as we dive in and learn about their journeys, their inspirations, and their whys.
Episodes are available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and promoted on the social media channels of Fayette County Public Schools.
Episodes will also be available here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2200811.
Posted 10/15/2024
