Grandparents spend hours serving students in Highland Park ISD’s cafeterias each week. But on Feb. 3, middle-school helpers left their aprons behind while they enjoyed brisket and conversation at the first-ever Raider Café grandparent volunteer luncheon.
“Grandparents are my go-to people in the cafeteria,” said Katherine Issel, cafeteria volunteer co-chair at McCulloch Intermediate School/Highland Park Middle School. “They’re so selfless. They show up all the time. I’ve always wanted to do something for them.”
Issel hosted the luncheon in her home to thank grandparent volunteers and give them an opportunity to get to know each other.
Volunteer Jean Allmon arrived at the luncheon still wearing her nametag. She had just finished serving in the drinks and desserts window at Boone Elementary, where she’s volunteered for the past five years. She added serving in the hot line at McCulloch Intermediate School to her schedule this year when her oldest grandson started fifth grade.
Allmon said her favorite part of volunteering is interacting with HPISD’s kind and courteous students. She also appreciates the opportunity to stay involved with her grandchildren and the knowledge that she’s helping the schools they attend.
Raider Café volunteers save the district about $425,000 in operating expenses annually. Those funds can be directed to other essentials, such as providing competitive teacher salaries. But families need to join the cafeteria team to make the system work — it takes more than 20 volunteers to feed hungry MIS/HPMS students every day.
Despite years of giving back, Allmon didn’t expect to be rewarded for her work with a luncheon.
“This is really quite an honor,” she said. “To be invited, for this lady to open up her home.”
About 20 grandparents attended the event, and Kitty Tillman was among the longest serving. She can count more than a decade as a volunteer lunch lady in HPISD schools. The friendships she’s made and thank yous she’s received have kept her on duty. Her service, she said, is “always a good time.”
Tillman’s grandchildren have mostly moved on, but she hasn’t. Although she only has one grandchild left in HPISD, a freshman at Highland Park High School, she still typically helps out about once every other week.
Luncheon attendees Nancy Barragan and Gail Keene went to high school and the University of Texas together, joined the same sorority, and were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings. Now, they both have fifth-and seventh-grade granddaughters and volunteer together in the MIS/HPMS cafeteria.
“I just love seeing my granddaughters. I love the energy and the excitement, and seeing the teachers, and just getting the feel of the school and the school spirit,” Barragan said. “It keeps me young.”
Issel, who organized the event with help from her cafeteria volunteer co-chair Tracy Port Melech, said she hopes the luncheon becomes an annual get-together.
Grandparents are valuable members of the team that keeps HPISD’s cafeterias going, said Whitney Donaldson, who co-coordinates Friday volunteers.
“We’re just the Park Cities. It’s such a community place,” she said. “It takes everybody, and it’s so much fun.”