Our People: Meet Erin Macias, dietary aide, Parkwood Institute

What do you know about the people you pass in the hall or see in the cafeteria every day? What do they do at St. Joseph’s?

Here we will introduce you to a member of the St. Joseph’s family, recognizing their contribution to respect, excellence and compassion.

Role

As a dietary aide, Erin prepares and delivers high-quality nutritious meals and beverages to patients and residents at Parkwood Institute. While working in a fast-paced environment, she ensures all meals are tailored to each individual’s dietary needs.

Erin is part of St. Joseph’s Food and Nutrition Services team, which is comprised of over 200 talented and compassionate staff dedicated to maintaining and improving nutritional health and quality of life for those they serve. This hardworking department operates 13 hours a day, 365 days a year and spans across all sites.

Typical day

Erin begins her day at 6 am and is constantly on the move. She helps prepare and deliver three meals a day to residents and patients at Parkwood Institute’s Mental Health Care Building and Western Counties Wing.  Her tasks may vary from day to day, but keeping residents and patients safe is a consistent part of her role and always top priority.

"Accuracy is so important,” says Erin. "Ensuring that specific diets and food textures are accurate and delivered to the right patients at the right time is imperative to their safety and overall health,” says Erin.

Personal touch

Erin brings efficiency and precision to her role, but she also brings enthusiasm and a willingness to keep positive when faced with obstacles. She rises to challenges and strives to make meaningful differences in the lives of those around her.

This made her the perfect candidate for this year’s Share the Spirit sponsored employee. Erin has recently taken on this role through which she will provide dedicated support to the committee by planning fundraising activities and helping to create a long-lasting change in the community. She is looking forward to this new endeavour and hopes to bring her passion for St. Joseph’s to donors, volunteers and all those who support Share the Spirit.

“This great campaign gives St. Joseph’s staff a chance to have some fun and make a lasting difference in the lives of others,” says Erin. “You never know when you or someone you know many need resources provided by the United Way or St. Joseph’s. I hope to bring a greater awareness to the positive change this fundraiser can make to the lives of those who may need it the most.”

Erin knows all too well that life can change at any moment. In 2007, Erin was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour and suffered a devastating stroke after a surgery to remove the tumour. With the help of St. Joseph’s Stroke Rehabilitation Program, Erin is now in good health and ready to share her spirit and give back.

“I owe a lot to St. Joseph’s,” says Erin. “Everyone has a message, everyone has a journey – and for me it’s about sharing and giving back to help others.”

Just for fun

A self-proclaimed health “guru,” Erin enjoys spending time in her garden and has even started to make her own Kombucha. (A fermented tea rich in beneficial probiotics.)   

Share the Spirit campaign is St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s annual employee giving program in support of St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation and the United Way of London-Middlesex. Donations made by St. Joseph’s staff through the Share the Spirit campaign have a great impact on the lives of many people, including patients and residents, who live in our community.