(This is a story found in a December, 1939 Terry County newspaper)
With school out and meals being delivered daily, we thought it would be fun to revisit the opening of the first school cafeteria in Brownfield back in 1939!
School Lunch Room Here at Last!!
After days of diligent work on the part of several people, the lunch-room idea has finally been sold and will become a reality, beginning Monday, January 8, 1940. The West Ward and High School Parent-Teacher organizations of Brownfield Public Schools have joined efforts in this undertaking and will sponsor the lunch room this year. The local school board has cooperated to the ‘nth degree and has figured much in the success of this rather larger enterprise. Now, patrons and friends of the school, your help is needed and it is to this end that this article of explanation is written.
The Federal Government is spending this year, over $2,000,000 for assistance in the establishment and up keep of lunchrooms in public schools in the State of Texas. These funds are distributed in the form of food commodities in proportion to the number of children fed. Of course, the primary cause is to feed the underprivileged and under-nourished children, but in our case, this can be used for these two purposes and one more, that of allowing children who bring their lunches to school to eat a well balanced, well prepared, well supervised, HOT MEAL.
The Federal Government will not allow a charge to be made for any meal served in this lunch room, nor will it allows us to discriminate among those who eat at the lunch room, but the Federal Government allows people to donate to this cause, and we believe that many of you will donate in food, or money, the equivalent of the value of the meals eaten by your child or children computed at the rate of .10 per plate.
Now, that you may govern your donations properly and feel sure that your children are not eating food that you are not paying for, we shall be glad to give you a receipt for your donation. If it be food, we shall compute its value at present retail prices. Your donations must be given once weekly, twice monthly, or once monthly. All donations must be submitted to the manager of the lunch room by adults. Children are not allowed to bring the donations to the school.
MAY WE GIVE SOME EXAMPLES?
Suppose you have two chilrden and you would like to have them eat in the lunch room, and you wnat to donate food or money that would equal the expenditure. Two plates per day at .10 each for the five days in the week would amount to $1.00. Your donation could be cash, or if you have surplus milk, canned goods, fresh or cured milk, dried beans, sugar, anything edible, you many give the amount that would be equivalent to $1.00 in money. Your children will get the benefit of eating wholesome, well cooked, hot meals, and at the same time will be contributing to feeing the great number of underprivileged children in our midst.
Mrs. Earl Wilson, one of our best workers in P.T.A. will be the manager or supervisor of the lunch room and will be in charge of the cooking of food, menu work and the buying of extra groceries and supplies. She is the one to whom to make your donations, either in food or money, and she will be stationed in the lunch room, which will be located in the west side of the high school gymnasium. (The current Our Promise Youth Academy) We are very fortunate to be able to secure the services of such an interested, capable and efficient lady in this capacity.
WE NEED DISHES!!
If you have a bowl, plate, saucer or cup that is not chipped or cracked and it is odd or one that you do not use, will you send it to Mrs. Wilson in the lunch room during the first week of January? It will be greatly appreciated. The children who eat in the lunch room will be under the supervision of the school and two teachers will be on duty during the lunch hour at all times. We are striving to make this project educational, as well as helpful in a physical way.
Brownfield Public School Superintendent Emmitt Smith
