DES MOINES, Iowa — At Hillis Elementary in Des Moines, students have four lunch options each day, choosing to fill their plate however they like.
Yet, it's the lady serving up lunch that knows the kids best, almost like they are her own.
"Their favorite is always chicken nuggets and pizza. It doesn't matter what else you serve," said Vickie O'Braza, a member of the school's food and nutrition staff.
O'Braza knows from experience. Her children attended Moore Elementary, just down the road from Hillis.
That's when she first tied on an apron.
"My youngest was going to be in second grade the next year, and they needed an employee in the lunchroom. So I thought, well, maybe I'll just do that for a few years," she said.
A few years flew by. O'Braza has spent the last 25 years crafting menus, cooking meals and serving food to Des Moines Public Schools students.
O'Braza started at Moore, which is now closed, and joined the staff at Hillis in 2008. She's seen quite a few changes over the past quarter century, including the increased need for free meals.
"When I first started, we served a few kids breakfast, but not that many," she told Local 5. "Now we have free lunch for everybody, free breakfast for everybody."
DMPS meets those needs every day with the help of O'Braza, who serves up a side of compassion with every meal.
The student body at Hillis is diverse. Two out of three students are from low-income families, and more than a third are English language learners.
But in the cafeteria, O'Braza's warm smile and loving spirit speak a universal language that welcomes every child.
"She is doing more, and the doing more comes in how she shows up as a person to serve the food," Principal Tiffany O'Hara said. "That is making a huge impact in our Hillis community of students."
As she celebrates her 25th year in the district, retirement may not be far away. Yet, even when that final lunch bell rings, she'll hold this school close.
"I really enjoy the people that I work with, and I enjoy seeing the kids every day… I don't know if it keeps me young, but a little bit younger, and it makes you see the positive side of things," O'Braza said.
In the cafeteria of life, Vickie's recipe is simple: A generous helping of love.