Photo by Samantha Bengtson
Eden Valley Care Center employees receive a certificate and pin for their service.
SOLEDAD — Eden Valley Care Center is welcoming a new tradition by honoring its employees who have been with the company for a number of years.
Eden Valley kicked off its first employee pinning ceremony Sept. 20.
“One of the things that is understated is that most of you have been here, not for weeks or months, but years,” said Gary Staab, interim CEO of Soledad Community Health Care District. “To have a job that you like to go to, and you go to day in and day out, Eden Valley would not have the reputation it has without the people that work here.”
Eden Valley employees who were honored had been with the organization from five to 25 years. Celebrating five years are Jose Hernandez, Maria Villaneda, Angelo Manzano, Aurora Morales and Anabel Pereira.
Employees who had been serving Eden Valley for longer, at 10 years, included Lucero Diaz, Erika Leon, Adela Lara, and Ernesto Paalisbo.
Two employees have been with Eden Valley for 20-plus years: Alfredo Ramirez and Eduarda Ruelas.
Ramirez works in landscaping and maintenance and worked for former CEO Steve Pritt before he died in March, continuing to work hard for Eden Valley after Pritt’s death.
“One time he said that everyone looked like a family,” Ramirez said.
Ruelas has worked at Eden Valley for 25 years and said she loved her work as an activity assistant. She started working for Eden Valley when it first opened and she was a CNA.
“I worked my way up from a CNA, then I did a little bit of physical therapy,” Ruelas said. “I did a little bit of everything in the facility. I like what I do, working with the patients and giving them the care, making them smile has kept me going.”
Erika Leon was awarded a pin for 10 years and had similar feels as Ramirez, that the employees treat each other like a family.
“This is a really nice facility and great place to work,” Leon said.
Leon currently works in medical records. She started as a CNA and transitioned to medical assistant and then to therapy.
