UFCW Local 328 member Mary Hawk was recently honored for saving a child from choking while at work in the cafeteria of Dunn’s Corner Elementary School in Westerly, R.I.
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Hawk works for Aramark and has been employed in the cafeteria at Dunn’s Corner Elementary School for four years. Last month, she was working at the register when she saw a child stand up and approach her. She immediately noticed something was wrong, identified that he was choking, and jumped into action by performing the life-saving Heimlich maneuver on the child.
“I am just so happy that he approached me, and our eyes had locked,” Hawk said. “I knew something was wrong.”
Rebecca Imbriglio, a union steward who was working in the kitchen at the time of the incident, added, “Sometimes we have reputations as just being ‘lunch ladies,’ but we are parents, grandparents, caretakers.”
![](http://forlocals.ufcw.org/files/2023/05/Mary-Hawk2-Lcoal-328-768x1024.jpg)
On April 6, elected and school officials presented Hawk with a Senate Citation for her heroic action. Those in attendance included State Senator Victoria Gu; State Representative Samuel Azzinaro; Superintendent Marc Garceau; Asisstant Superintendent Alicia Storey; and Principal Steven Morrone.
When asked what she enjoys the most about her job, Hawk said, “The best part of my job, without a doubt, are the kids.”