The scramble begins from building to building. Trash must be taken out, tables wiped down and floors mopped. Tables must be in their proper place, chairs in order and the bathrooms shining, even the commode.
This is only the beginning of a long day for housekeepers Amy J. Simmons and Amy Huckaba, and it’s only 7 a.m. The ladies must be in and out of the designated buildings before any students or teachers arrive.
Both Amys have been working at Milligan for around five years but have been friends for 20 years. Simmon’s husband even officiated the Huckaba’s wedding. Huckaba got the job first and told Simmons. about it, who then applied.
I worked alongside the two Amys two summers ago for about three months. Those three months were enough for me. The 5 o’clock morning with sometimes full eight-hour days of hand scrubbing bathroom floors and toilets were not the most enjoyable times, but I am grateful for them.
After working with the two Amys, I realized that every clean classroom I enter is because of the housekeeping ladies. I also began to notice that when the trash cans are empty, it isn’t because they magically take care of themselves. No, someone hauls the bulky bags over their shoulder to the dumpsters.
The things I took for granted, like clean Derthick bathrooms, were only clean because these seemingly hidden people took care of it for me. After seeing the work that goes on behind the scenes, I gained an appreciation for the people that help make my day go a little smoother.
I caught up with the two Amys and asked them just what keeps them serving every day at a job that calls for little recognition?
“My family. My son is able to attend Milligan because of this job,” Simmons said.
“My husband, for me,” Huckaba said. “He is also to go to school at Milligan, but we also love making relationships with the students who work with us. It helps us feel more a part of the school. It is special to see them during the day and say ‘hello’ or ‘how are you doing?’.”
“We don’t expect to be thanked, but it does feel nice to be appreciated,” Simmons told me.
Huckaba followed with, “I remember one time at a Milligan faculty and staff cookout, President Greer came and sat with three of us housekeepers. It meant a lot to us, because he is a celebrity at Milligan, and he always treats us as equal people and says hello.”
The full housekeeping staff will continue to serve our community and do it often unnoticed, but it is important to remember if your pastor and the housekeeping ladies both went on strike, we would ask for the Amys back first.