Staff members share their heritage with fellow co-workers through annual pot luck dinners

Two years ago Cora Carter, a long-time employee and personal assistance liaison (PAL) at Belmont Village, decided to share her heritage by preparing a traditional meal for her coworkers. The delicious tomato-based dish known as chicken afritada served with pancit—a noodle native to Filipino cuisine—sparked the beginning of a longstanding pot luck dinner tradition at Belmont Village Buffalo Grove.

Today, the multicultural staff represents a number of countries, including Poland, Guatemala, Bulgaria, the Philippines, Mexico, Russia, U.S. and India. Over time, the special meals have helped form a deep bond between the colleagues, who look forward to their time spent together.

When asked about why they take the time to organize these gatherings, Janny Flores, a PAL and native of the Dominican Republic, responded “we have to—we have to work as team to take care of the residents.” Executive Director, Maureen Chippas was deeply touched by these words, commenting “when you have a passion to do what is right, the rest falls into place.”

As Belmont staff and residents come together for the holidays, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to celebrate our unique backgrounds and differences. We wish our staff, our residents and their loved ones a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year.