Lunch Lady Fired for Giving Free Lunch to Low-Income Student

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Melissa Knowles | Trending Now


Arguably, next to recess, lunchtime is one part of the day that schoolchildren look forward to the most. It's a time to grab some grub and socialize with friends. Dianne Brame, the cafeteria manager at Hudson Elementary School in Webster Groves, Missouri, said she knows each one of her students by name. Brame took a special interest in one fourth grade boy. She noticed that he used to be on the free lunch program, but he had not been renewed to continue receiving free meals. Brame believed that was because his mother, who does not speak English, did not understand the paperwork for getting access to the meals.

So Brame stepped in and tried communicating with the family through the mail, but to no avail. Any kids who do not have current eligibility status are allowed to receive only three free regular meals. After that, the protocol is that these kids receive only a cheese sandwich and a carton of milk. Brame feared that the boy would be made fun of or bullied. So she gave him a free regular lunch for two months.

An employee reported Brame's actions to Chartwells, the food service company employed by the school that prepares the food served to the students. Chartwells then fired Brame. But the story does not end there.

When Chartwells found out the full details of the boy's story and why Brame took the actions that she did, they rehired her and said it was all just a misunderstanding. They released the following statement: "Chartwells appreciates the concern of this employee, and of all of our employees, who put the well being of school children first."

Brame told local TV station KSDK that she knew she had broken the rules, but she was trying to prevent the young man from being made fun of, and she would do it all over again, adding, "I don't think any kid should be hungry."

Hail to the lunch lady!

[RBP]

Not her job to pick winners and losers.

[DemonGeminiX]

Well they apparently liked the fact that she did since they rehired her.

[RBP]

I didn't comment on the firing, just stating that she shouldn't be making those decisions.

[DemonGeminiX]

A little kindness goes a long way.

[RBP]

So she knows the economic status of every student and makes appropriate decisions? There is an entire program designed to evaluate that - not one lunchlady. Or was she assuming the Hispanic kid's family must not be capable of making their own decisions / handling their own affairs?

[DemonGeminiX]

So she knows the economic status of every student and makes appropriate decisions? There is an entire program designed to evaluate that - not one lunchlady. Or was she assuming the Hispanic kid's family must not be capable of making their own decisions / handling their own affairs?

:-s

How many programs have you actually seen that were that good at keeping those things straight? Do they all know kids in the program, or are all those kids just numbers to them?

In the article it said that she knows all of the kids she serves by name and she assumed it was because his family didn't understand the process or the forms. She paid a kindness to the kid. What's wrong with that?

[Hal-9000]

It's a random act of generosity....the world needs more people like her

[Acid Trip]

It's a random act of generosity....the world needs more people like her

I applaud the sentiment but she went about it in the wrong way. If you want to give something away you give YOUR stuff or YOUR time, not something that belongs to someone else.

The food was not hers to give away. Plain and simple.

[Hal-9000]

I applaud the sentiment but she went about it in the wrong way. If you want to give something away you give YOUR stuff or YOUR time, not something that belongs to someone else.

The food was not hers to give away. Plain and simple.

She's the lunch lady! :x

of course she can give it away

[Teh One Who Knocks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH8jAjtvc10

[MrsM]

They probably throw out more food each day then she gave away. She never should have been fired in the first place. She is trying to care about others - this should be rewarded and not punished.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

She's a thief and should have stayed fired

[DemonGeminiX]

They probably throw out more food each day then she gave away. She never should have been fired in the first place. She is trying to care about others - this should be rewarded and not punished.

:+1:

[Acid Trip]

I'd like to see your reactions if I took your money/food and gave it away. I'm sure I'd get lots of applause like the Lunch Lady but you wouldn't like it.

Maybe I should go in the vault and give all the money away to the less fortunate. Nice gesture right? Not if you are an account holder and it was your money.

[DemonGeminiX]

Jesus dude. It's a fuckin' kid for chrissakes.

What the hell is wrong with you people?

MrsM has the real 411 about school lunches: whatever doesn't get used gets thrown away. They're throwing away money every fuckin' day. So what if she shows some sympathy for a kid and gives him a freakin' meal that would otherwise be trashed? Can't you people see beyond the bottom line and serve something greater than what you get paid?

You guys are seriously lost. Heartless. This is gonna cause a fucking firestorm flame war, and I'm by no means a religious man, but y'all need to go back to church and learn some of the life lessons and values that it teaches. There's something greater than money at work here. Helping those in need, a child in need, is a far more rewarding thing.

Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves. Shame on you people.

Fuck this. I'm out. I don't want to trade posts with you heartless bastards today. For shame.

[MrsM]

I'd like to see your reactions if I took your money/food and gave it away. I'm sure I'd get lots of applause like the Lunch Lady but you wouldn't like it.

Maybe I should go in the vault and give all the money away to the less fortunate. Nice gesture right? Not if you are an account holder and it was your money.

Not the same thing at all - we are talking about food. If he didn't get it, it would most likely have been thrown out. Now if she was giving it away so that paying customers couldn't get it, then that is different. but the article didn't say anything like that.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

:lol: Im just being the devils advocate, I would have gave the kid a lunch too. But, in all fairness they weren't going to let him go hungry, the protocol was to give him a cheese sandwich. Maybe his illegal mother could take the time to make sure his feed by filling out the paperwork

[MrsM]

Maybe his illegal mother could take the time to make sure his feed bu filling out the paperwork

:lol: that's a different issue all together

[Acid Trip]

:lol: Im just being the devils advocate, I would have gave the kid a lunch too. But, in all fairness they weren't going to let him go hungry, the protocol was to give him a cheese sandwich. Maybe his illegal mother could take the time to make sure his feed bu filling out the paperwork

Me too. Just pointing out the inconvenient truth that she received praise for giving away something that wasn't hers (which is theft and why she was fired).

The company reconsidered their position and that's their prerogative. I would have hired her back too but she has to know you can't give stuff away that isn't yours.

And the kid wasn't going to go hungry. She gave him the meal so that he could avoid the ridicule of this classmates, not avoid hunger.


Brame feared that the boy would be made fun of or bullied.

[Lambchop]

http://i47.tinypic.com/301j2av.jpg

[RBP]

Jesus dude. It's a fuckin' kid for chrissakes.

What the hell is wrong with you people?

MrsM has the real 411 about school lunches: whatever doesn't get used gets thrown away. They're throwing away money every fuckin' day. So what if she shows some sympathy for a kid and gives him a freakin' meal that would otherwise be trashed? Can't you people see beyond the bottom line and serve something greater than what you get paid?

You guys are seriously lost. Heartless. This is gonna cause a fucking firestorm flame war, and I'm by no means a religious man, but y'all need to go back to church and learn some of the life lessons and values that it teaches. There's something greater than money at work here. Helping those in need, a child in need, is a far more rewarding thing.

Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves. Shame on you people.

Fuck this. I'm out. I don't want to trade posts with you heartless bastards today. For shame.

:-s

You can't take your ball and go home :nono:

[Acid Trip]

:-s

You can't take your ball and go home :nono:

He called me Jesus and a heartless bastard all at once. I'm flattered.

[RBP]

He called me Jesus and a heartless bastard all at once. I'm flattered.

Imma go to church and steal something for the poor people. :tup:

[Acid Trip]

Imma go to church and steal something for the poor people. :tup:

:lol:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

http://i.imgur.com/QKaDQ.jpg

[Goofy]

Jesus dude. It's a fuckin' kid for chrissakes.

What the hell is wrong with you people?

MrsM has the real 411 about school lunches: whatever doesn't get used gets thrown away. They're throwing away money every fuckin' day. So what if she shows some sympathy for a kid and gives him a freakin' meal that would otherwise be trashed? Can't you people see beyond the bottom line and serve something greater than what you get paid?

You guys are seriously lost. Heartless. This is gonna cause a fucking firestorm flame war, and I'm by no means a religious man, but y'all need to go back to church and learn some of the life lessons and values that it teaches. There's something greater than money at work here. Helping those in need, a child in need, is a far more rewarding thing.

Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves. Shame on you people.

Fuck this. I'm out. I don't want to trade posts with you heartless bastards today. For shame.

I agree with all of that :thumbsup:

[Southern Belle]

When I was little (haha a long time ago) we had "ice cream man" who came around the neighborhood in a truck with that horrible tinny music playing. Popsicles were a nickel and we'd run in the house and scrape up some pennies and run out to wait for the truck as soon as we heard it.
There was always one or two kids who came out but didn't have any money. Ice Cream Man would give them the broken popsicles for free.
My Daddy always noticed it and if he was home, would go out and give the man a little money to cover what he gave away.

In the 80s, an older black lady in our community was raising her grandson. She was my parents' age and had grown up with them. When Halloween came around, Mama went to her house and asked her if she could take the little boy trick or treating with my nephews. The lady thought "somebody might have something to say". Mama told her she didn't care. Everybody ought to get to go trick or treating. So for the next several years, he always went trick or treating with my nephews.
Being kind and fair and not wanting people to feel left out or humiliated isn't something to be fired over. The lunch lady did the right thing.

[deebakes]

what a mooch :hand:

[Muddy]

Fucking liberals..

[deebakes]

fbd must have turned them :-k

[Southern Belle]

I'm not a fucking liberal bitches.

[Godfather]

I just want to chime in and say I think this is cool... it should be a real program even, not just one lady trying to quietly help. No half decent country ever went broke giving kids free lunch... or because of health care for that matter :lol:....

[RBP]

I just want to chime in and say I think this is cool... it should be a real program even, not just one lady trying to quietly help. No half decent country ever went broke giving kids free lunch... or because of health care for that matter :lol:....

Everything for everybody! :cheerlead:

[Godfather]

Everything for everybody! :cheerlead:

Says the guy who was going to move to Canada after the election :P

[RBP]

Says the guy who was going to move to Canada after the election :P

If I said that I was kidding... I love this country despite its faults. ;)

But really, lines have to be drawn, right? I love asking people "where's your line" on difficult issues. It makes people think beyond the hyperbole.

[Godfather]

If I said that I was kidding... I love this country despite its faults. ;)

But really, lines have to be drawn, right? I love asking people "where's your line" on difficult issues. It makes people think beyond the hyperbole.

I know, just razzing you on that one :P

I'm not really sure it's hyperbole though, when you don't have to look any further than many fellow industrialized countries who are doing better things for their people for cheaper than either of our countries are though is it? You're right, where the line should be drawn is an endless debate, but like my post alluded to, I don't believe any country ever went broke giving its people health care and child care... but they might go broke because they directed trillions of dollars into the pockets of private for-profit insurers.

[Godfather]

That's a vague statement though... Japan, Germany and Swizterland apparently base their health care on private insurers like America and are doing fine so it's not the entire issue I guess is it...

I dono, fuckit whatever to each their own :lol:

[RBP]

I know, just razzing you on that one :P

I'm not really sure it's hyperbole though, when you don't have to look any further than many fellow industrialized countries who are doing better things for their people for cheaper than either of our countries are though is it? You're right, where the line should be drawn is an endless debate, but like my post alluded to, I don't believe any country ever went broke giving its people health care and child care... but they might go broke because they directed trillions of dollars into the pockets of private for-profit insurers.

Who does that? Private insurance here is funded just like it sounds, privately. The US government doesn't pay for private insurance, so I am not sure what you're on about.

And I suppose "better things" is open to debate as well.

But it goes way beyond that... no one wants to cut anything... everyone wants everything. Well, that doesn't work! We need to grow some balls and draw some lines in the sand about what kind of country we want to be. I know, blah blah blah... same old shit... but you say ok, fuck it, give everyone free lunch! yay.. free lunch! And you say fuck it, pay for PBS! yay PBS! and you say fuck it, give everyone health care. yay... free health care! And on and on and on and on.... it's never going to stop until we're totally fucked.

Getting back to the point, there are rules for a reason. Follow them. Don't arbitrarily decide the rules don't apply to you or some kid you feel sorry for. Not your decision, not your job, not your money.

[Godfather]

But it goes way beyond that... no one wants to cut anything... everyone wants everything. Well, that doesn't work! We need to grow some balls and draw some lines in the sand about what kind of country we want to be. I know, blah blah blah... same old shit... but you say ok, fuck it, give everyone free lunch! yay.. free lunch! And you say fuck it, pay for PBS! yay PBS! and you say fuck it, give everyone health care. yay... free health care! And on and on and on and on.... it's never going to stop until we're totally fucked.

Getting back to the point, there are rules for a reason. Follow them. Don't arbitrarily decide the rules don't apply to you or some kid you feel sorry for. Not your decision, not your job, not your money.

You're probably right, it's a domino effect

Anyways, still reminds me of that irritating Sean Penn ad :lol:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0pXYSu6YXA

[Godfather]

But that fucking guy loves Hugo Chavez and beat Madona so fuck him... seriously, he loves Chavez.

[RBP]

what, what guy loves Chavez? Penn or Obama? ;)

[Godfather]

Three way

[RBP]

Three way

:lol: