How to Feed NYC's Largest Middle School | On The Job | Priya Krishna | NYT Cooking

[@cypriennezed5640]

The kid saying "muchas gracias!" made me cry, SO lovely to hear gratitude

[@viviangunsettcecco]

Me too! It was such a geniune "muchas gracias" my heart feels so warm

[@SlowSlowSloth]

You started crying because someone said thanks? I think you need to meet some new people.

[@davidpaw22]

@@SlowSlowSloth are you 10 or somethn?

[@thirtyonepigeons9539]

8:10

[@swankyangelo]

You can tell that they don’t speak Spanish frequently because we just say Gracias and yes just fine.

[@soulfabs]

My heart kinda breaks as we all know how mean and unappreciative kids can be with school lunches, and to see all the effort and love that goes behind it is very impactful… I wish all students could take turns throughout the year volunteering at the kitchen to appreciate all this hard work.

[@yosmaryguaman4064]

Am going to the school but no hate sometime the lunch isn’t that good but theres always something to eat

[@jeffw1267]

The food should still be better. In France they have chefs in charge of the lunchroom, so we should have that too.

[@ariesmichaelsayan4013]

I work at a middle school in the Bronx where the students absolutely hate lunch. It’s not the cook’s fault. It’s the NYC DOE! They spend millions of dollars on consultants and don’t pay attention to why students don’t want their lunch. They can afford to spend money on better lunches. NYC DOE can do way better. Lunch is trash at times. I don’t blame the kids!! They deserve a better lunch!!

[@magicknight13]

That's an excellent idea!

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Serie A Leader NYC I People

[@Dlibassi93]

i absolutely love this interview. Priya was so thoughtful in how she asked questions, interviewed in spanish language, and hyped Ruth up. Ruth is the definition of love and hard work. That school is lucky to have her

[@toswingonastar]

+

[@hopegold883]

Except Ruth speaks English.

[@BEESkneesz]

@@hopegold883 maybe Ruth is more comfortable speaking Spanish?

[@ritugupta1698]

@@hopegold883 she does but she's obviously more comfortable with speaking in Spanish

[@Student0Toucher]

We need more American flags in that school

[@JohnR-wf2hh]

I teach at a nyc public high school, and it’s heartbreaking how few kids eat the lunches. The kids make it sound so gross that other kids feel weird eating it. But what Ruth said is true, a lot of kids don’t have any other meals, so it’s terrible when you’re made to feel bad for eating it. I always ate the free free. Took extras when they’d let me!

[@edmondlau511]

Some things never change. Having been overseas, I think many kids, and Americans overall, take things for granted. I didn’t care, I ate the food. I didn’t care what the other kids thought.

[@angeladeniselee]

Same I was fortunate that my parents paid and the kids make seems like forbidden food

[@legendarygang4807]

depends on the place because in my county in va all the fruits/vegetables they give look like they have birth defects and the lunch is usually overcooked and tastes shitty

[@haruanimations6576]

@@edmondlau511 dont let this video fool you, many schools across america do have some of the worst food. not even good, i cannot tell you the ammount of times me and my friends have gotten spoilt milk, or juices with something wrong with them. the food is awful sometimes too

[@alexosow]

Same!!! I always thought the food was ok, like nothing special. Probably better than gas station food, but I got it for free so I always made sure I was eating and was grateful for it

[@dobetterwithchristian4472]

In school I didn't give the lunch ladies much thought. They were a 1-2 minute part of my day max. Seeing this is a reminder that not only are they real people with full lives and aspirations, the work they do is vital to the lives of so many students and the community. #lunchladiesservelove

[@DizzyBusy]

That can be said about most service workers around you. Thank you for writing this reminder that we should all be kind to the lunch ladies, the trash management workers, the delivery people, the cleaners, everyone around us that work to make our days less stressful

[@anyadaz]

lol They were the queens of our school. Everyone wanted to be friends with the people who fed us.

[@prisonmike7179]

I already appreciated the lunch ladies work but this gives a pretty interesting perspective

[@Mochithisisdumb]

I never understood how people could blatantly ignore them really, where are the manners? to say thank you here and there and tell them to have a good day too. But then again not everyone has that kindness

[@localmilfchaser6938]

@@Mochithisisdumb people just hate school. I don’t blame them

[@jmassy86]

My mom was a lunch lady for roughly 20 years. Not out of necessity, but didn’t want to sit at home and do nothing. It truly made high school better for me seeing mom everyday at lunch. Lunch ladies deserve so much more credit than they get for the amount of work they put in!

[@pineapplesmoovey7898]

Please thank her for all her work for us!

[@khairulridzwanabdulkuddus6480]

This story reminded me of Ms Swanson, the lunch lady at my elementary school in Pittsburgh in the 1970s. This was at a time when there were no options for different dietary requirements. She noticed I never took the pork dishes at lunch, so personally made me peanut butter and jelly sandwiches whenever they were on the menu. You not only remember great teachers during your schooldays, but other wonderful people who leave a lasting impression with their kindness.

[@surabhi955]

that's so kind of her. thank u for sharing

[@akcortin]

shout out to superheroes like Ms Swanson.

[@elliottenriquez]

What a sweet women!

[@tekvax01]

LOVE!!

[@legorockstar2000]

yep, I still remember the elementary school lunch lady who gave me and my friend extra at breakfast because we never got much food at home.

[@grayonthewater]

I’m from a Latino community so all the students and the lunch ladies spoke Spanish and they were all so sweet, we felt like they were our grandmas. People would give them gifts during teacher appreciation week and whatnot. When I was a toddler my mom was a lunch lady and I remember going to the warehouse for the school district with her during the summer and man what all those people do to get us kids fed was amazing, I always respected them.

[@Andyyoureastar]

Always always!!

[@tamravenhill301]

Priya is an excellent journalist and human. She always manages to capture the real story.

[@thatsalt1560]

She listens and she's humble. Very rare these days. (Maybe it always was?)

[@Matt-fl8uy]

OP - YES! Thank you for putting into words what so many of us felt watching this video.

[@aharmonym24]

absolutely. I'm so glad this series is back!!!

[@andrete9100]

is it weird that I find her extemely attractive? she seems so smart and classy

[@madzie111]

@@andrete9100 can't blame you, she's wonderful

[@jjohnson1791]

Kids are so mean lol. I agree with Priya when she says that as an adult you really learn to appreciate school lunches more. I'm barely making it by with what I consume day to day. They are so blessed to be able to eat awesome well rounded food. I know that they'll appreciate it a lot one day. Muchas gracias Ruth and crew!

[@thephilosopher5799]

Kids are the most honest humans

[@IsinMoon]

This is the kind of food journalism I’d expect out of NYT Cooking. Please keep making this series! It is fascinating and heartfelt, and Priya is the perfect host.

[@tekvax01]

HEAR HEAR!!!

[@BreeUts]

When I was in elementary, they taught us to always thank our lunch ladies, our janitors, our security guards, all of those who worked more behind the scenes. It was always so fun staying a couple minutes after lunch to help wipe down the tables. And that’s something I’ve brought into my adult life: be grateful for those who help you

[@michaeln9931]

That ending line... Get it, Ruth! I mean, really, she's doing a significant portion of what she'd be doing as a social worker- systems, feeding, mass resource supply. Interesting pivot, but I'm glad she found it.

[@yuotueb]

I hope she's getting paid accordingly...

[@bw0716]

it is all canned and frozen processed junk. ruth should be fired

[@michaeln9931]

@@bw0716 I agree that kids should have access to higher quality, more nutritious foods, but I think that it's more an issue of budgets than Ruth's professional decisions. Maybe fire the people who underfund schools?

[@zaz16]

The part where the principal is saying that the priority number 1 of the school is to feed the children and that comes before the education says a lot about the state of our society right now .... So much respect for all of this ladies !

[@csarn77]

My mom was a lunch lady. Kids thought it was cool. They really do work hard. I remember how much the ladies and my mother tried to make the foods good despite at some point having to switch to cheaper and poorer quality ingredients. My mom emphasized like Priya said some kids only get that meal for the day. They wanted to make it as enjoyable for them as possible. Props to all the lunch people out there!

[@Rpena1448]

In the early 90s my mom and grandma, and my friends moms were all lunch ladies lol. My fav memory was when my grandma was in the serving line she'd slip an extra tender or broc n cheese on my plate (bah gawd I loved the broc n cheese back in my day!). Thinking about it now it brings tears bc they served love in every plate, it's a damn shame most students today aren't so lucky.

[@Laughingwithtravii]

as someone who grew up poor there were MANY days i wouldnt have even had food if it wasnt for some of the incredible school food programs, so thank you. i truly didnt expect to [good] cry watching this, it was so wholesome and lovely tho, took me down memory lane in a nice way, thank you for that too. you were right, ruth is defo a superhero.

[@kdchhy2252]

I grew up poor too..we ate alot of fish that we fished for and ate noodles a lot. School time was when we got to eat other types of food

[@asd7625]

same for me, no food at home, no lunch but my mom could only afford school lunches it make me sad, i used to save a little bit of food for my brothers when i was in high school at some point at home, my twin and i argued about stealing food, but somehow the school lunch was a good reason to not try stealing bc we ate at least

[@pearlpark7259]

I'm most impressed with how clean the cafeteria is, and Priya's Spanish.

[@hopegold883]

Or is it a little bit just to make herself look good? It makes it seem like Ruth can’t speak English, after having lived there half her life. So it’s kind of at her expense.

[@pearlpark7259]

@@hopegold883 hmm that's one way to think about it. I'm not sure how fluent Ruth is with English but as an interviewer I assume they try to make their subject feel comfortable and confident, so that the conversation is rich and they can express themselves in the best way. I did not think of the staff members any less because they didn't speak in English.

[@cattachi681]

@@hopegold883 I don't think so. I work in a warehouse for a large company, and everyone there has to speak English to get hired, but all the Latinx people speak Spanish to each other, and love when the rest of us speak Spanish with them. It makes them feel comfortable, and like home. Just because someone can speak English doesn't mean they prefer to, whether you've been speaking it for 20 years or not. If my first language was Spanish I would want to hold on to that. It's culture, identity, and self expression. That outlook you have is very negative. Just think about how the other person on the other end feels. Priya was clearly trying to make her feel at home, by speaking her first language, and well too!

[@DizzyBusy]

@@cattachi681 thank you for writing that thoughtful reply!

[@BubbleGumzKorner]

@@hopegold883 my friend's family members been here decades and barely speak English because they live and work with those from their communities. They may say a few words here and there in English

[@simmimon]

Ruth saying she accomplished her dream says so much about her as a person. She wanted to be a social worker to help people, now she is. Taking care of so many kids everyday.

[@VPFrio]

Thank you so much! As a grandchild of a lunch lady who immigrated from Mexico, it warmed my heart to see Priya and the NYT Cooking team interview Ruth in her native tongue. Also, Priya's Spanish is amazing, honestly even better than some of my siblings! haha

[@DuyNguyen-yx2vd]

Honestly my favorite thing about this video. Not only did it let Ruth speak from the heart, but I also get to practice my Spanish after neglecting it for 15 years.

[@dannimalsholderbro]

Cuando creces en Texas... lol I think it truly shows respect for Ruth and allows her to be able to express herself more freely without having to worry if she was saying something incorrectly. I also noticed many of the cafeteria workers giving instructions to the students in Spanish. I know there are a couple of schools where they have Foreign Language immersion programs, so I wonder if perhaps this school is a Spanish-language immersion school?

[@banshee1133]

I thought the opposite. I thought the lunch lady was fluent enough to speak English. She's been in the country for more than 20 years. An English interview would have been fine.

[@dwe2a]

This is the kind of thankless, out of the spotlight work that makes education a success. Hungry children do not have time to learn b/c they are constantly worried about their next meal. A well fed student body is one that can truly grow & prosper. The hard work & dedication of the staff, behind the scenes is truly incredible. Our schools could not exist without them.

[@alexw322]

When Ruth said the bean salad is made with lots of love I just started bawling. Thanks for bringing us her story, Priya!

[@nenaj1]

She doesn’t make it. Bit comes frozen

[@bw0716]

it is all canned and frozen junk. ruth should be fired

[@Goliath1337]

@@nenaj1 Because Ruth is gonna manufacture the beans from scratch in her garden at home? Of course she doesn't 'make' the beans themselves, she prepares them

[@TheSpencer404]

We sometimes forget how much hard work it takes to keep people fed, clothed and with basic human dignity. Lots of content nowadays focuses on glamour. But Ruth and the entire staff of this school are the actual everyday heroes. Thanks for telling this story.

[@hugohernandez3538]

You know that little girl that thanked the lunch lady has manners and was raised right. That's one way of respecting your elders :)

[@tonychairez2787]

Someone give this staff an award & a raise. Wow! Gracias por todo lo que hacen cada día.

[@bw0716]

it is all canned and frozen processed junk. ruth should be fired

[@saltypeeps]

A really beautiful segment and look behind the scenes! It's great that the episode highlighted the importance of food security in children's well-being. That if you're hungry or are thinking about how you can even eat in the first place, how can you even begin to prioritize/think about learning? And the part with families lining up during COVID to take as much food as they needed no questions asked really emphasized how the community depends on the work Ruth and other lunch staff do.

[@ima.m.1658]

So true. Without basic health, it's hard to study anything.

[@blahblah2779]

Millions of children do it in Mexico, India, china, and all other countries. I only had one taco of beans and hot sauce every other day when growing up, in between whatever people gave me on the streets when working. That was my life for most of my childhood. I can tell you that having endured this kind of life made me stronger and more resilient than the typical American I see nowadays. Most of you don’t know what being hungry means, nor what you need to do to survive if you’re in that situation.

[@Thatsalotrobbie]

FINALLY HOLDING INTERVIEWS IN THE PERSON PREFERRED LANGUAGE. Could not be happier to finally see/hear this, just allow people to be a more authentic version of themselves.

[@factualactuals3495]

I knew my elementary school lunch ladies because they were friends with my mom. Hearing Ruth talk about the impact she has on kids has me tearing up because it reminds me of the lunch ladies of my childhood. All these lunch workers give it their all and a lot of students don't have second thoughts about those people. Ruth is an inspiring person and I just want to hug her from how much she cares about her community.

[@martasfakeaccount2473]

For some reason it really shocked me that priya knew spanish and used it to talk with the chef, making her more comfortable by being able to talk in her first language, i guess that’s bc everyone is kind of expected to know english but when someone learns spanish (my language) it just makes me so proud and happy!

[@jaspherdansalan635]

"This is my dream, and I think I have accomplished it." 🥺😭 I would love to eat every food that is cooked with this much love! Ruth and all the other lunch ladies are amazing humans 💖

[@DuyNguyen-yx2vd]

She was studying to be a social worker. She loves helping kids, and what better way to do it than making sure they get fed every day.

[@bw0716]

it is all canned and frozen processed junk. ruth should be fired

[@NethaKids5-hz4sg]

Thanks for shinning the light on the people that work the hardest and don't get the credit they deserve. I can't tell you how much of an impact our k-5 and middle school lunch men and women had on us. Thanks Priya for sharing this story!!

[@kevinpantaleon3919]

This brought me to tears. Thank you Priya for taking the time to speak to the staff in their native tongue. I loved everything about this interview.

[@XTaitoX]

Not gonna lie, I didn’t expect to cry when they started talking about COVID times and how proud I suddenly was of Ruth and her team. All around just really exemplary human beings.

[@megantapia95]

As a kid growing up in the NYC public school system I loved seeing this. I never thought about how hard everyone worked because i was always so caught up in my own kid stuff but this was definitely very humbling and heartwarming

[@stephanie4812]

This is fabulous. I did my thesis on these food pick up sites during COVID and the people who kept families fed during the pandemic are HEROES.

[@justoneacre7873]

I loved the fact that this hard working woman and her team were recognised as performing a valuable service.

[@foreverythingbeauty4409]

i love how they allowed her to do the video in a language she feels most comfortable in. I love it. So much respect

[@syazanisani94]

I was a foreign exchange student to MN from Malaysia in 2012. One of my favourite moments were during lunch hours, the lunch ladies were so thoughtful of my dietary restrictions and they were super nice and interested to know more about me. I felt like I was welcomed throughout my whole experience. I'm lucky to have that experience in my life.

[@Danuxsy]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@wyattvillalobos4153]

my mom has been working in food service for schools for about 5 or so years and just landed a permanent lead position, truly a TON of work goes into making lunch for schools and im really glad content is being made about all the work that goes into it.

[@mybrkly]

I don't know why I teared up watching this. Maybe it was the humanity; maybe it was the nostalgia. Hats off to Ruth and her staff! This was excellent. I look forward to more stories from Priya.

[@FrecklesLove24]

The “okay nenes, pueden pasar” 07:43 they don’t understand how comforting that is, we appreciate you all so much 🥹💓 thank you for feeding us everydayyyy!

[@anger101]

The people making school lunches happen deserve this kind of recognition for what they do. I loved this piece and seeing Ruth’s passion for what she does.

[@timothyajayi1189]

My school's got 1,800 students but the fact that even with so many children and the school is still trying to have as many students as possible eat free or reduced lunch is just heart warming

[@colleenquigley4335]

I love stories about people helping people, especially stories about feeding our children. Ruth, her assistants and school staff are wonderful everyday heroes and I applaud Priya's story which honors and acknowledges them.

[@meandmycoworker7678]

When I worked in these public schools, I saw some students packing food to take home. I’m so grateful they provide these services to our children.

[@kailadwinell5966]

This made me tear up- can't imagine the challenge they faced during COVID. So many essential-workers work miracles and often go unnoticed. My grandmother was a lunch lady many years ago and my heart goes out to all these people helping families feed their kids

[@ballmonokuma9484]

The lunch staff truly does care about its students. Back in high school, I skipped lunch and sat down because my friend already gave me his food from the previous lunch period, but that didn't stop this lady from coming out the kitchen and bringing me a pb&j, because I used to eat only those every day haha, I haven't seen her since covid :( Even in Elementary school, they were a HUGE part of my school career. The staff in my elementary were majorly latino, and really great friends with my mother. I was always picky about NYC's school lunch but now I miss it

[@iconnz]

I clicked on this video because I'm from NY and was curious what was the largest middle school in NYC and so many memories hit me when they showed the lunchroom. I graduated from this school 8 years ago and I'm so happy to see the inside of my middle school again.

[@vasiovasio]

KZbin is something Amazing! Something that cuts borders and helps you to learn and see new things, new people, and new points of view every day! Now, we all can see your middle school no matter where we are! :) Greetings from Bulgaria!

[@yulisaluna2133]

Same here I was curious about this video and realized it was the middle school I went to and saw some of the people that worked there when I went there, it just brought so much memories it’s amazing

[@B-tenst04]

Blud went to the same school and didn't know what the largest school was 😂

[@SLABHTX]

Thank you to all the School Cooks from the bottom of my heart. Growing up I made sure to always thank each lady along the line before i was handed my food. Still make sure to thank the cook before leaving small establishments

[@meldragon22]

My mom was a lunch lady for a few years and she loved the job. I cried watching this as she may not speak English, she understood the thank you and hellos from kids. Often she would sneak an extra snacks to kids who asked for it. She misses the job and I will always cherish the lunch ladies when I was a kid 🥹😭

[@sandixcrunner]

I want to cry when I hear stories of migrants who travel to the US, leaving everything behind, hoping for better just to start from zero because of language barriers or what have you. Ruth is an embodiment of perseverance and putting your heart into the work you do. I wish her all the good things in life.

[@jennwald4469]

Great tribute to these hardworking people feeding the minds and bellies of the next generations!

[@gavinbrewes863]

Great comment to a great video

[@ivetteoriol4136]

My great grandmother was a school cook. She fed 100’s of kids every day. I’m very proud of the woman she was. She was a widow and she was working in the 1910’s and raising her kids (my grandmother included).

[@vanillacreamsoda1]

this is so beautiful! as a Queens native and a product of nyc public schools from K-12, it means so much that you chose to highlight Ruth and a middle school in Queens too! thanks for your thoughtful questions to all of the staff - wonderfully done!!

[@peachy.lemons]

"When you're an adult and have to cook for yourself, you're appreciative of what anyone cooks for you" As a freshman in college i relate to that on a spiritual level

[@jayfirefang]

I feel like the lunch staff and maintenance staff for my school are some of the people I will always remember. The kindest most humble people I ever met. Some parts of me I think I modeled after them growing up. I wanted to be as kind, humble, and selfless as the support staff at my school.

[@ilselindberg6557]

You can tell when a school has a lunch lady who's enjoying her job and willing to do a little extra for the children. It makes a huge difference!

[@Sophie3647s]

I went to middle school there up into 7th grade. The staff there really care. They would sometimes even give me extra eggs for breakfast. When I moved to a better district however I notice the biggest difference was the fruit and vegetable bar. Just more to work with Edit: The cold bags for breakfast were typically for students running late without eating anything. Ideally you would take it as a snack. Im surprised so many students passed her. Granted this was 10+ years ago

[@corymah8061]

Bravo again to Priya, how she’s able to spotlight Ruth and her team, and the important behind-the-scenes work they are doing every day to keep these kids and the community nourished.

[@bw0716]

it is all canned and frozen processed junk. ruth should be fired

[@margaretthym8234]

One of the lunch ladies at my elementary school was a parent to a classmate. He was in special ed and most of the students thought he was a little odd and stayed away. But I became friends with him, made sure he had a playmate on the playground, etc. Well in 4th grade I was really sick (okay now!) and I had to go to a lot of doctors. Sometimes I'd come back to school and lunch was over already. My friends mom always made sure a lunch was set aside and kept warm for me. I am now a teacher- and I've noticed that there are so many roles within the school in which people don't often get recognized or appreciated for the work they do every day. So to school lunch cooks, custodians, maintainence, cross walk guards - we see you and we know without you, teachers like myself can't do our jobs. Thank you!

[@hm2ls869]

I don’t know what I love more, you, speaking, Spanish, exploring your own insecurities, about having been that age once, or praising the work, those women do - which mostly goes unseen/recognized? Great video! Well done!

[@JLEXUS]

it was a nice touch having the narrator present with crippling anxiety. I liked that. You are not alone, I would have sat by myself too.

[@lyss1210]

Ruth and her staff are rock stars! Thank you to all the “lunch ladies” for all you have done for us!!

[@bw0716]

it is all canned and frozen processed junk. ruth should be fired

[@pdw0ng891]

Awhh this definitely made me tear up. There's a lot of hard work and sacrifice to make our world run. Ruth is a champion and running laps every day.

[@angieg7010]

My late mom was a lunch lady growing up. She would tell me that she felt unappreciated at times hearing the heartfelt “muchas gracias” at 8:10 made me cry

[@applegurrll]

What an incredible woman and team, all that work for her community deserves the highest honour a city can bestow on someone

[@JuanPabloMontoyaUrdaneta]

Oh, dear, I wasn't expecting to be so moved from a short video about School Meals... ...How mistaken I was, not foreseeing that this is a tribute to caring people in our lives that could be easily overlooked. Honestly, I couldn't help but to start crying a bit. GREAT JOB, PRIYA AND NYT TEAM! 👏🏻 A BIG HUG TO THOSE CARING PEOPLE AROUND US! :) THANKS!

[@bigdezol]

This series deserves a Peabody Award. Priya and the rest of the team on this are doing great work. Every episode is informative, captivating, and endearing.

[@HomeEmpress]

The organisation, the pride and the cleanliness! This is what’s lacking in so many other cafeterias. Well done Ruth.

[@melaniel.5133]

That “thank you” will bring joy to someone’s heart! I always said thank you to my lunch guy Luis and he always made sure I got a little bit more just for being nice to him. Teach our children to appreciate their lunch staff!

[@dalejop1]

Hearing Priya interview Ruth in Spanish in such a fluent and respectful way was a lovely surprise.

[@jaelaly]

As a middle school teacher I appreciate our lunchroom staff. They keep our kids fed. Some kids only eat at school. It’s not an easy job. Thank you for your hard work.

[@thereIsaidit123]

All cafeteria people in NY are heroes! Thank you so much for your service. For feeding our hungry children and putting so much love into your work.

[@GoldenAngel-]

Huge Respect to the Lunch Ladies worldwide, thanks for caring throughout the years for all children ❤

[@VegasLilliehook]

Ruth and her team are AMAZING! Thank you for keeping these kids fed and healthy!

[@echung168]

That principal has a great motto. If education is to be a priority then food priority is ahead of education itself.

[@ABlueDahlia]

I was emotional before the covid part and then when the covid part, I started crying. What an amazing group of humans. Kudos to them and much love!

[@kimberlygilliam6112]

Ruth is a wonderful lady. She would have made a great social worker. You can tell she cares about these children.

[@riiiika]

I can't put into words how much I loved this - thank you for shining a well deserved light on these overlooked heroes!

[@Sixloveswho]

I remember a lunch lady that used to live across the street from us. She was from Korea and didn't speak English but I looked forward to seeing her every day. She would smile so brightly and give me the best hug I'd ever had. Sometimes I would get an extra chicken nugget too! Thank you for shining a light on these amazing women. It was such a moving interview.

[@entrcpy]

Ruth is indeed a superhero and Priya’s Spanish is a flex. I was wringing out my 3 years of Spanish when I lived in NYC.

[@BOMBON187]

I applaud her Spanish and how nice she is to the staff.

[@yoda101]

Unsung heroes of the United States. God bless them

[@tekvax01]

Ruth Quizhpe deserves a medal, the keys to the city, an award, and the lottery! She is a ROCK star helping people that are unable to help themselves!

[@StephenPhayre]

There are people in the world like Ruth Quizhpe who do super-hero work every day, and yet most people are more interested in why Rosie O'Donnell Was "Hurt" by Ellen DeGeneres... Thanks Priya for highlighting this wonderful team so beautifully!

[@soka3661]

No matter how much I hate school lunch, I’m always grateful for the ladies who are working behind the counter. Nobody appreciate them enough

[@sophiabrown9748]

why did this have me in tears? thank you for telling and sharing this story with us

[@arongomez5101]

Loved this interview so much! Lunch ladies seriously deserve the love and world with how much they work with serving food to thousands of students. The lunch ladies at my high school were one of the best parts of my four years becuase they were always so kind, loving, warm and respectful. My senior year I was planning giving them gifts and goodbye letters when I graduate but unfortunately covid hit and I never got to say goodbye to them

[@ChristenSapnas]

I’m not going to lie, I definitely teared up and how wonderful & inspiring Ruth is.

[@itissayu]

These are people that are likely to be forgotten by students. They care and dedicate so much energy to feed the students. I’m so grateful for all the lunch ppl I’ve had for middle and highschool. Bless their hearts

[@EatingNormal]

I really love this series. Glad to see it return, and especially for it to start in a public school. Priya's doing amazing!

[@sandrarsd3393]

I’m a lunch lady in a high school Massachusetts it’s a lot of hard work we do to feed our students. ❤ I’m a proud lunch lady

[@justine11012]

I love that Priya gets to do mini-documentary stuff like these

[@whip525]

I admire people who get up, show up, have a good attitude and try their best. Always inspires myself as I always got things just handed to me… what amazing work ethic, not about the money or anything but their duty to serve. I love it

[@ellaliljapeterson9312]

This was such lovely and moving food journalism. Thank you, Priya!

[@Lvu24]

Ruth is a champion ❤. I enjoyed conversations with the school lunch lady and always treated them with respect. So kind 😇

[@shouldbsleeping]

Priya and her interviewees are such an inspiration. Each of these on the job episodes are mastercraft

[@trinicarillo4179]

These women deserve a pay raise. Lovely to see how much they care. Snotty kid he should be grateful he was fed.

[@sandraberrios7778]

Ruth and the entire staff are heroes. Thank you for everything that you guys do!

[@elainev670]

The kind of story that would humble you. I kind of lost words to describe my feelings when Priya said she was awkward and weird coz I have a child who is awkward and weird, and it gives me so much hope to see Priya grew up so well to bring us this kind of content. Tearing up a bit now actually 😭. Great interview, everyone in our life count ❤️

[@wendyfranco2835]

I love this video so much :D It takes me back to when I used to be in the lunch lines and the greatest part was always chatting with the lunch ladies. We were a tight-knit group of students who had the lunch ladies as a buddy. I'm glad recognition is being shown behind the scenes of school lunches and the lunch staff!!!