After almost a full year of construction, final approval of the renovations to all 7 unit kitchen pantries and dining rooms at Cabrini of Westchester was granted by a Dobbs Ferry engineer, resulting in a blessing ceremony and reception on February 12th. “It’s a much more personal experience,” said Sr. Damien Ciminera, MSC, when speaking about the renovated kitchens. “Everything is clean and the food is served much more efficiently and warmer.”
In 2010, Cabrini of Westchester completed a major modernization project that expanded and renovated the Home to add space and details required to provide enhanced privacy, dignity and respect for each patient and resident. Keeping this person-centered care philosophy in mind, country kitchens were included on every unit to serve home cooked meals in a restaurant style manner. Over the years, the kitchens were maintained, but it became clear that updates and replacements were needed.
In order to make these updates, all kitchens and dining rooms were closed to keep the residents safe and the Food Service Department worked tirelessly providing meals with traditional tray delivery service. “The new look of the kitchens is pleasing to the eye and the new equipment, including a steam table, refrigerator, and dish washer is so much more efficient. The staff is able to serve the residents in the dining room faster and provide them with delicious hot food,” said Enrique Vargas, Director of Food Services. “We are excited to start offering new items on the menu such as orange chicken, chicken parmesan sandwiches, garlic butter salmon filets and, during breakfast, Belgian waffles with turkey sausages. There are many more exciting menu updates that will be on-going.”
New dining tables, chairs, wall coverings, lighting and artwork are included in the dining room refurbishing.
During the blessing ceremony, Fr. Ron Galt, Vice President of Pastoral Care and Mission led scripture readings and prayers as he sprinkled the kitchens with Holy Water.
When addressing the residents, Bonnie Burke, Vice President of Operations and Administrator said, “Thank you for all of your patience and support during the construction. We hope these updates make your dining experience much more enjoyable and we look forward to serving you in these enhanced surroundings.”