Menno Place initiated the Team Member Appreciation Tea in February 2013 and holds this event annually.  This year it will be held on March 28, 2017.  At the event, our team members are recognized for:

• years of service (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 & 35 years)
• excellent attendance;
• and three special awards are given in the categories of “Living our Values”, “Creative Innovation”, and “Everyday Champion”

Here is a summary of the  award nominations with some of the comments provided.

EveryDay Champion (nominated by co-workers, friends, family and residents)

The Everyday Champion Award recognizes an employee of Menno Place for showing daily passion and commitment for quality care with the residents. The nominee is a true team player whose actions or attitudes have improved the workplace in a meaningful way by nurturing relationships, inspiring colleagues and residents and demonstrating a high level of integrity and compassion. The recipient of the Everyday Champion Award was nominated by a colleague for this award.

 Last year’s winner (2015): Betty Schroeder – LPN, Menno Home   Winner of the EveryDay Champion Award

“Betty stepped up in the absence of our RCC and has been there for each staff member asking what can be improved and takes complaints and solves problems very effectively.  It’s always a pleasure knowing that when Betty is here working that there will be a calmness on our floor.”

Everyday Champion (2014): Sig Engler – Maintenance, Menno Hospital

Everyday Champion (2013): Heather Taylor – Health Care Aid – Menno Hospital

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Living Our Values Award

The recipient of the Living Our Values Award was nominated because they are outstanding in their capacity to live out the values of Menno Place – Stewardship, Excellence, Respect, Values-Driven, Innovation, Compassion and Encouragement.

Last year’s winners (2015):  Fredene Bishop and Karen Dyck  – Winner of the Living Our Values Award

Fredene Bishop – Housekeeper, Menno Home

Fredene is filled with compassion for the residents with whom she engages regularly in her work as a housekeeper.  She makes time to converse, to pray, to assist with putting on a sweater or tying shoe laces.  Fredene has a heart for ministry and has gone many times to Guatemala to share the love of Christ and His practical love for the poor.  She has a joyous personality, magnetic smile, kind heart and love for the Lord that expresses the values of Menno Place every day though every small act of service.”

Karen Dyck – Food Services, Menno Hospital

Karen has worked at Menno her entire working career of 30+ years. She lives our values by caring for each and every staff member or resident that comes through the Fireside Café. She has the highest of standards for all the good that goes out of the Café and helps each year to design an interesting and tasty menu for all to enjoy. She was the person who developed the idea of having a “prepay card or tab” in the Fireside Café. How much easier that had made many of our lives by not having to run around with our wallet or always having to have cash on hand.  She lives the “customer is always right” motto!

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 Creative Innovation

The Creative Innovation Award recognizes an employee of Menno Place for an idea or solution that has been approved by a supervisor and implemented in order to significantly improve operations or the quality of service for residents at Menno Place.

Last year’s winner (2015): Sheila Maxfield – Recreation Aide, Menno Home

Sheila’s job includes facilitating and implementing recreation programs at Menno Home.  She provides leisure services to enhance the quality of life for residents to help relieve residents from loneliness and bordom.  Sheila introduced the tablet, ipad to the residents and downloaded all music used in creative programming.  She also provided step by step instructions for easy use for those technically challenged. She created new programs such as “Name that Tune”, “Guess the Genre of Music” and country themed music to the residents.  She took the intiative on her own time to work on this project which has benefited the recreation staff and residents to help enhance all recreation music programs at Menno Home.