Noel is being recognised for 45 years of service with Presbyterian Support Otago this month – a significant achievement that is worth celebrating.
Noel was born and raised in the district and she recalls her introduction to Iona when they were looking for weekend caregivers.
She worked eight hours each day in the weekend, and was initially paid less than $1 per hour.
“The role involved lots of physical and hands-on work with the residents, and there wasn’t very much paperwork required back then”, she recalls.
After 31 years assisting residents as a caregiver, Noel stepped back for a few months because of personal health challenges. As soon as she was able to return to work at Iona, she did.
Noel worked in housekeeping, before she became a physio assistant. She is still doing this role two afternoons each week, and enjoys interacting with residents.
Being part of the team at Iona is something of a family affair. Noel’s husband was involved in building the ‘Kirkness’ area, her daughter worked in the dining rooms when she was a student and her son is a plumber who has done work at Iona over the years.
“We have a wonderful team at Iona, with fantastic people like Noel. While a number of people have been here for some time, the 45 years of service that Noel has given is simply incredible,” said Iona Manager, Steph Leith.
Noel has never considered working anywhere else, “Iona has always had a great family atmosphere and I love all the people that I work with here.”
Thank you, Noel, for the wonderful work you do as part of the Iona family.