Work With Me Essay: Waitress Grace DeBoer

HAMMOND, Ind., Nov. 7, 2010— -- Grace DeBoer, 24, submitted the following essay for "GMA's" Work With Me contest about her love of interacting with people who she serves as a waitress and food preparer in the restaurant industry.

I work two jobs to pay my bills. Both jobs are in the food industry.

I get up around 7a.m. five to six days a week to go to Panera Bread. I work there on the line making sandwiches and salads.

It's a job that you need to have a sense of humor and endure a lot of criticism. It's not a hard job, but it is a tiring job.

I work between six and nine hours almost every day. I then go home for about an hour to change my clothes for my second job.

I work five nights a week at Boston's Gourmet Pizza as a waitress. This job is fun.

I love talking to people and interacting with them. I believe you would enjoy following me around for the day, finding out about customer service.

America needs to see what food service workers go through. A lot of people don't understand where we come from. We get gypped on tips and treated like trash by people who think we are paid minimum wage, when we are really only paid $2.13 an hour in Indiana.

Please come show the country what we do here in the food industry!!