Former Cafeteria Worker Makes Donations To Broken Arrow Schools

A former cafeteria worker has donated money to Broken Arrow Schools to help make sure kids get some healthy lunches.

School administrators said students should be well fed before they even set foot in a classroom. And now, thanks to a donation from a former cafeteria employee, the district is another step closer to that goal.

"I know that you cannot learn if you are not fed," Waite said. Linnea Waite said during her 20 years working in the cafeteria, she saw how important good meals are for kids. That's why she donated $2,300 dollars to Broken Arrow Public Schools.

Childers middle school Principal Leighanna Davis said Waite is an example of someone who wants to create positive change for her community.

"To see the kind of commitment that our community has to continue to pour in and bless the school system, is just phenomenal," Davis said.

Since retiring in 2011, Waite has been making donations to the school's student supply closet in memory of her late husband.

She wants to inspire others to make a difference. "This is something that everybody can do," Waite said. "This is the tax you pay to be part of the community."

The district said the money is to feed kids at Childers.

"That is going to make a profound difference in the lives of our students here," Davis said. "We haven't even begun to dream about how we're going to be able to spend that and meet the needs that we have for them."

Davis hopes this donation will help more students succeed by keeping them from going hungry.