And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily,
as to the Lord, and not unto men.
Colossians 3:23
It was another busy day in the kitchen...
as to the Lord, and not unto men.
Colossians 3:23
It was another busy day in the kitchen...
I had to clean piles of pots and pans of all shapes and sizes. There were also dozens of large baking pans that were covered with a coating of shortening mixed with melted margarine. It's a pot washer's nightmare!
So to clean these items I would fill a large utility sink with hot, scalding water and an industrial strength detergent. I would scrub each pot or pan with a scouring pad. Of course, I have to wear plastic gloves. Then, after soaking and scrubbing, I put each implement into a different sink which has a bleach solution in it. Here, the items must soak for a while before getting pulled out and transferred to a third sink to be rinsed in clean water. Next, the wet pots and pans are placed on racks to dry. From here they get placed in the appropriate storage racks until it's time to be used again.
In a setting where approximately 800 meals are prepared at one time, the kitchen is run almost like an assembly line in a factory. In addition, because the cooks need to begin preparations for the next meal at least several hours in advance, it seems that no sooner do the pot washers return items to their respective storage shelves do the cooks come to take the pots and pans away. Everything is fast-paced. It's a hot, humid and noisy place.
Furthermore, the kitchen crew at this facility has to prepare all the meals for the minimum security annex that's down the road. And this operation of feeding the inmates goes on for much of the day. There are three meals per day, seven days per week. It's a non-stop operation except for when the kitchen closes at 8 P.M. until it reopens to begin making the breakfast meal at five o'clock the next day.
For the kitchen's workers, there's never a vacation. We have three shifts, too. And we must undergo regular inspections by the prison's staff, as well as periodic inspections by Department of Health and food service personnel.
But I like the job. For the most part, we have a good crew. We've got our workers and slackers, of course. Yet it's a good challenge for me because the work is hard. As a Christian, however, I see myself as working for the Lord. This is what really keeps me going.
D.B.
So to clean these items I would fill a large utility sink with hot, scalding water and an industrial strength detergent. I would scrub each pot or pan with a scouring pad. Of course, I have to wear plastic gloves. Then, after soaking and scrubbing, I put each implement into a different sink which has a bleach solution in it. Here, the items must soak for a while before getting pulled out and transferred to a third sink to be rinsed in clean water. Next, the wet pots and pans are placed on racks to dry. From here they get placed in the appropriate storage racks until it's time to be used again.
In a setting where approximately 800 meals are prepared at one time, the kitchen is run almost like an assembly line in a factory. In addition, because the cooks need to begin preparations for the next meal at least several hours in advance, it seems that no sooner do the pot washers return items to their respective storage shelves do the cooks come to take the pots and pans away. Everything is fast-paced. It's a hot, humid and noisy place.
Furthermore, the kitchen crew at this facility has to prepare all the meals for the minimum security annex that's down the road. And this operation of feeding the inmates goes on for much of the day. There are three meals per day, seven days per week. It's a non-stop operation except for when the kitchen closes at 8 P.M. until it reopens to begin making the breakfast meal at five o'clock the next day.
For the kitchen's workers, there's never a vacation. We have three shifts, too. And we must undergo regular inspections by the prison's staff, as well as periodic inspections by Department of Health and food service personnel.
But I like the job. For the most part, we have a good crew. We've got our workers and slackers, of course. Yet it's a good challenge for me because the work is hard. As a Christian, however, I see myself as working for the Lord. This is what really keeps me going.
D.B.
