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BUFFALO, NY – Richard Nixon was President when Laura Simmons began cooking for the children of Catholic Charities Precious Innocents Child Care Center, formerly Holy Innocents Child Care Center. The price of a loaf of bread at that time was 23 cents, gas was 32 cents a gallon and a new car cost about $2,000.
 That was 40 years ago.
Top ten songs on the charts were “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, “Honky Tonk Woman” by the Rolling Stones, and the Temptations’ “Can’t Get Next to You.”
Miss Simmons is hanging up her apron this week and plans to enjoy her retirement. Her last day is this Friday, Aug. 27.
A need to provide for her family brought her to the child care center. After her husband passed away, leaving Miss Simmons – or Miss Laura as she is fondly known – with five young boys to raise, she knew she had to do something. She went back to school and the rest is four decades of history.
It would seem that many things might have changed since she first walked into the kitchen to prepare meals for the children all those years ago. Have they?
“Oh my goodness, yes!” said Miss Simmons. “There was not much variety to the menu like there is today. But the children were more willing to try different foods than they are now.”
She continued, “The lunch menu included liver and creamed eggs on toast. Today we don’t serve peanut butter and jelly because of all the peanut allergies. Back then peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were served, as well as peanut butter and crackers, and the children loved this.”
Prepared food items were not available to purchase when she first started. Miss Simmons prepared biscuits, beans, cookies and eggs – all from scratch.
When Miss Simmons started with Catholic Charities, the center was located on Dodge Street where it had opened the year before, in 1969. In 1989 the center was moved to 30 Rich Street in the former St. Mary of Sorrows School. The center then moved this past February to its new location, 128 Wilson St., off of Fillmore Avenue, in the former St. Stanislaus School.
Miss Simmons said she wanted to make the move with the children and staff to Wilson Street before she retired.
When asked about her plans for retirement, Miss Simmons just smiled with a twinkle in her eyes and said, “Enjoy myself!” That likely won’t include cooking a lot of hot dogs or macaroni cheese for little ones!
Precious Innocents Child Care Center is a New York State licensed center which cares for children ages six weeks through age 12, including a before/after school program. The high quality program is designed to enhance each child’s physical, social, emotional and intellectual development. Bus transportation is offered for families who need this service.
For more information or to visit the center, call 716-896-6386.
Catholic Charities is the most comprehensive human service provider in Western New York, reaching all eight counties with 62 locations. Founded in 1923, Catholic Charities also provides, without regard to religious affiliation, comprehensive counseling services for children and families, anti-domestic violence programming and emergency services, among other social and mental health services. For more information, go to www.ccwny.org.
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