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Spirit Cafe: The Inside Scoop

February 3, 2026 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

Part of The Bird on Fire’s What’s in the News

An Inside Look By Blogger Reagan Kaminsky

The Spirit Cafe is a favorite of every Palm Valley student, but we don’t seem to understand how much work, time, and money is invested into it. I interviewed some of the many people behind the cafe, so we could get the “Inside Scoop” on how much it truly takes to bring it to life. The cafe is run by the PVS Parent Association, and all of the proceeds go to helping with events like the Fall Festival and Water Day. Also, the cafe is open Monday through Friday during lunch, so make sure to stop by.

Volunteers LouAnne Dien (Left), Linda Yoder (Center), and Monica Mathews (Right) work at the Spirit Cafe every Wednesday. Photo Credit: Reagan Kaminsky

I asked Linda about how the Cafe has done this week. She said,

“We’ve been very busy this last week; it’s interesting how one day to the next the food preferences change from Chicken Teriyaki Bowls to Chicken Melts.”

Linda Yoder

I asked Monica about how she prepares the menu items. She responded,

“Linda takes the order and fills out the form, passes it to me, and from there we air fry or microwave the item, and then we prepare it on a plate with the appropriate condiments.”

Monica Mathews

Lastly, I asked LouAnne about how she opens the cafe everyday, and how they get the items to sell at the cafe. She claimed,

“I just open it up and make sure everything’s unlocked, unwrapped, and then everyone comes. When we restock, we have three buyers. One goes to Costco, one goes to Sam’s Club, and I just go around hoping for the best supply. We all just help each other; it’s a team effort.” 

LouAnne Dien

Personally, I work at the Spirit Cafe every Wednesday and Friday, and I agree. It takes a lot of work, but it’s always worth it to volunteer. Though there are many great volunteers behind the Spirit Cafe, there is one person who truly gives it her all. Elizabeth Richardson schedules the volunteers, shops for supplies, and fills in on the regular for volunteers who can’t make it. So, next time you visit the cafe, make sure to thank all of the PVS parents and grandparents for making it happen.

Filed Under: Food, PSA, School Events Tagged With: Reagan Kaminsky, Spirit Cafe: The Inside Scoop

Comments

  1. Elizabeth Richardson says

    February 3, 2026 at 10:29 pm

    Reagan, this melted my heart. Thanks for covering this story and highlighting our dedicated volunteers, who truly enjoy the lunchtime fun at PVS.

    Reply
    • Reagan Kaminsky says

      February 4, 2026 at 9:56 pm

      Of course, I truly think you and the other volunteers are not appreciated enough for the amount of work you put in. I hope this post can help make a change, and thank you so much for everything you do!

      Reply
  2. Mr. Hesson says

    February 10, 2026 at 10:29 pm

    Such a great idea to highlight this essential part of campus life and interview those involved in making it happen. I love the photos and interview questions, great feature!

    Reply
  3. Reagan Kaminsky says

    February 11, 2026 at 5:19 pm

    Thank you Mr. Hesson, I really appreciate it!

    Reply

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We are the Palm Valley Firebirds of Rancho Mirage, California. Join us in our endeavors. Venture through the school year with us, perusing the artwork of our students, community, and staff. Our goal is to share the poems, stories, drawings and photographs, essays and parodies that come out of our school. Welcome aboard!