“Family, health, jobs. Those important things that we’re probably ALL thankful for,” says Renee Stotler, cafeteria worker. Other food service ladies also had many things they were grateful for, as well as meals planned for thanksgiving break. 

      Karen Church, who works mainly on the serving line, explains that during her Thanksgiving, she had “four children and 10 grandchildren, who all came over.” 

      Church says they had “two turkeys and a good time,” as well as a “game table set up,” to play board games. The worker says she “wouldn’t have it any other way,” even though it was “a lot of running around in the kitchen.” 

      Shenna Morrison, who also works on the serving line, shares that in her house, her family “did a little bit of decorating, had dessert, and napped,” and that her family was sleepy after dinner. Morrison states, “it’s quiet there.” Just like Church, Morrison’s family also cooked turkey, but with an addition of “ham.”

     In a survey taken by the National Turkey Federation, approximately 88 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving. NHHS’ food service workers are a part of that number. 

     Stotler, part of the cafeteria staff also “made dinner with [her] family, relaxed, and had a nice time off.”  Stotler also mentions they went shopping since the holiday season is coming up.

     According to YouGov, in the year of 2021 forty-one percent of citizens in America are grateful for their “family,” 31 percent for their “health,” 19 percent for their “life,” and the rest stated that they were the most thankful for their “job or finances, faith/religion, basic needs being met, friends, politics, vaccines, freedom,” and some even mentioned “everything.” 

     When asked what she was thankful for in 2021, Morrison seemed to agree with Stotler: “I’m thankful for my family, my health, and my job,” and then added, “and people I meet every day! I’m really thankful for everything.” 

     Church is also thankful for the same things that Morrison and Stotler are, and elaborates on it by saying “I’m in the process of having my kitchen redone, everything is going to be replaced,” and by doing that it gives her “a chance to have more family get-togethers.”