Margaretta Lewis

Role: Hotel Services at The Village Length of service: 45 years

Margaretta joined Brightwater on 4 July 1977 at Homes of Peace in Inglewood (now known as The Village). She has always worked in Hotel Services and is passionate about helping residents every day.

What led you to work in this field?

I started as a casual at first and was then offered a position from 9am to 6pm which was great. I was young and used to go out a lot, so it was a perfect time to work. My parents lived in Dianella, so it was really close to home and quite convenient for me.

Could you briefly describe your role and responsibilities?

I help the residents with their meals like breakfast and lunch, do their food preparation and give them their required meals according to their needs.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The residents are so gentle and I like to see how happy they are when you give them a meal or offer them a snack or a cup of coffee. Their eyes light up! I will ask: ‘did you enjoy that fruit?’ and chat with them. We do a cooked breakfast three times a week which is popular.

What inspires you at work?

Satisfying the residents by helping them with their needs. And when I am talking to them, I like to ask them questions and find out what they did before they lived at The Village. I find it interesting. It is nice to hear what they used to do in their younger days.

Do you have any fond memories from your time at Brightwater?

We used to have cooks and a big kitchen on site and the smell of the food was amazing. Everything was freshly cooked, and we could buy meals. On Fridays, staff were allowed to purchase fish and chips for lunch for about a dollar. The whole dining room would be full of people. We would have a huge feed and they would give us dessert as well.

What advice would you share with other Brightwater staff?

Get along with one another. Don’t have any enemies. Just work together because we are at work most of the time. And do the best we can for our residents.

Where is your home town?

I am from Malaysia, and a small town in Malacca.

If I was a superhero, my superpower would be?

I would like to be invisible.

What’s the best holiday destination you’ve ever visited?

Australia! Last year we did an eightweek trip to Queensland, right up to we travelled right up to Cook Town and it was really interesting.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to cook and bake and make specialty cakes.