Pauline Lyons is July 2022’s Public Servant of the Month

  Mayor Brian Arrigo announced Pauline Lyons as July 2022’s Public Servant of the Month. Pauline has been helping to feed Revere’s children for 24 years through the Revere Public Schools Food Services, and she continues her work at the Rumney Marsh Academy. A lifelong resident of Revere, Pauline has also raised her children here, who followed her footsteps in attending the Revere Public Schools. Her years of contributions to the community are invaluable to Revere’s families, and there is no doubt that she is a perfect fit for this award.

  Q: Tell us a little bit about what you do for the city. What program do you run? How many years have you been doing it?

  A: I’ve been working for RPS Food Services for 24 years. I started with the Revere Summer Feeding program in 2000 under Al Mogavero, who has since retired.

  Q: When COVID-19 hit, people were probably turning to you for advice on how to bring food to students learning from home. Tell us a little bit about the beginning of the pandemic – what was a normal day like for you and your team?

  A: The only normal we had was that we continued to feed as many kids as we could. We had locations open for families to come pick up food for our remote learners, as well as volunteers on a daily basis delivering food to students of families who were unable to leave home due to quarantine.

Q: What does Revere mean to you?

  A: Revere is my life. I have lived my whole life in Revere, raised my kids here who also went through Revere Public Schools, and continue to contribute to the community through my work as the Food Service Manager at RMA and with the Summer Feeding Program.

  Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

  A: The most rewarding part of my career is feeding the children of Revere, seeing their smiles and watching them grow throughout the years. I also have met amazing people throughout the years and have a great staff that comes back every year. I’m grateful for the opportunities given to me (to continue this program every year) by the mayor and superintendent of Revere Public Schools (past and present). I could not have done this and continue to do this without the support of my amazing food service staff, custodians, secretaries, business office, Cheryl Cole Food Service Director for RPS, my assistant director Kitty Adams, and of course the children of Revere! I would also like to thank all our Community Partners (you know who you are!), Project Bread and the Department of Education for their continued support!

  Q: If you could give Revere youths one piece of advice, what would it be?