40 years of service Not too many of us can say we have spent our entire career working for the same organisation, and long-term service to an employer is becoming increasingly rare. For Donna Popp, who celebrated 40 years of service with St Agnes’ Parish, Catholic Care of the Aged on Tuesday 14 March 2017, employee loyalty to the right organisation is “not a chore”. Donna was just 18 years old when she was first employed with St Agnes’ Parish to care for elderly members of the Port Macquarie community. She had recently married and felt she was not content to sit at home, so her mother, Nita Swadling, a cook at Lourdes Nursing Home, suggested she talk with the Manager. The next day, Donna started work in the kitchen and has never looked back.
In 2005, Catholic Care of the Aged moved into the newly established "Emmaus", which has since grown to 116 residential beds. There have been many changes to aged care but, according to Donna, the one constant has been “their quality of care”. Today, Donna is the Team Leader, overseeing the catering team. When asked what she loves most about her position, Donna responded, “I just love working with the residents”. And when enquiring about her retirement plans, Donna recalled that she was once told that when you get up in the morning and don’t want to be at work, that’s when you know it’s time to leave. But, she said with a smile, “That hasn’t happened yet”.
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Call (02) 6583 7987
www.stagnesparish.org.au/cca
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