Chelsea Burnette
Cordele Dispatch
Cordele —
Wilma Lewis, lunchroom manager at A.S. Clark, fills hundreds of little bellies every day during the week.
She has been in the business of stuffing children for 25 years and plans to retire doing what she does best. “I started out at Blackshear Trail and was transferred to A.S. Clark in 2003,” she claims.
A friend informed Lewis of the job opening years ago at Blackshear Trail, and she just started learning, she says. “I started off with vegetables and worked my way up,” she giggles.
“Now I manage the kitchen as well as the workers, order groceries, do inventory and act as cashier. I will do some cooking if needed, but I am no longer a regular cook.”
There was no hesitation from Lewis when asked what the kid’s favorite menu item is. She quickly replied “pizza,” a popular favorite among most schools.
“I think the least favorite is maybe tuna or chicken salad,” she said. “I don’t even have to ask either. I can just look at their trays and tell.
“We try to keep the food healthy for the most part,” Lewis stated. “Keeping the menu consistent is key. We serve fruits and vegetables every day. If a student does not want the main item that day then they can have a peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwich.”
Lewis said the children is what she loves most about her job. “I love the kids. I meet new ones every year. There are about five to ten kids that come in every morning for breakfast and they always make sure to thank me. It is times like these that make my job worthwhile.”
The most challenging part about Lewis’ job is making sure the menu comes in every month. “I order the food from this menu,” she states “and it usually comes in a week before preparation. It is difficult to come up with items at the last minute if the menu doesn’t arrive on time.”
But Lewis has six hard-working kitchen staff to help her with last minute food preparations — Sara Wilkes, Brenda Palmer, Sammy McGill, Karen Compton, Gladys Adderley, and Tonia Kilpatrick.
Lewis, born and raised in Cordele, is the ninth child of 15 kids. She has two children of her own, Charles, 29, and Kimberly, 26. “I also have a granddaughter, M-Ncia, who is two years old.”
She has been married to Eddie Lewis for many years and is a member of Piney Grove Baptist Church where she sings in the choir.
“In my spare time I like to sleep,” Lewis said laughing. “I don’t really have any other choice. I also like to go shopping.”
