Kitchen Manager Elizabeth van Neel, known fondly as Aunty Cindy at St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care, has announced her retirement after working 44 years serving young patients at the facility, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Van Neel has worked at St Joseph’s since she was 21 years old, and this coming Christmas Day marks the end of an era at St Joseph’s.
Despite operating on a limited budget, the kitchen staff at St Joseph’s do their best to make Christmas special for the young patients with chronic and life-limiting conditions.
Van Neel has always tried to bring smiles to the patients’ faces through her food, especially during holiday periods when it is difficult for the children to be away from home.
‘Holidays like Christmas and Easter are a very special period for the kids, and it’s important to me to make these occasions feel special for the children. When we get donations, I try to get the children treats like sweets, chocolates or chips. It always brings them so much joy, and it makes me happy to see their faces light up,’ said Van Neel.
Van Neel’s dedication to serving St Joseph’s young patients hasn’t just been focused on special days. She puts all her effort into making their daily meals as nourishing and home-cooked as possible.
‘Unlike other hospitals, our children stay here for up to six months and sometimes longer depending on the acuity of their illness, so it is like a home for them. Over the years, we have learnt what they like to eat. For example, we know they don’t really like vegetables, so we try to put them in stews with meat to get them to eat them,’ said Van Neel.
A standout meal from Van Neel, her signature Friday fish and chips is rooted in St Joseph’s Catholic foundations.
The kitchen staff works together to prepare Friday’s meal, beginning preparations on Thursday by peeling the potatoes and battering the fish, ensuring everything is ready for lunch the following day.
Despite the convenience of ready-made chips, Van Neel has always insisted on making them from scratch, as serving the patients fresh food is crucial to her.
‘For the past 44 years, having the kitchen managed by the Aunty Cindy has been an incredible blessing to everyone at St Joseph’s,’ said Cheryl Campbell, head of finance at St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care.
‘The thousands of hearty meals she prepared with her dedicated team will always hold a special place in the memories of our young patients. Their favourites — fish and chips on Fridays and the classic Sunday lunch of roast chicken, potatoes, and vegetables — brought comfort and joy to so many. Cindy leaves behind big shoes to fill, but we are thrilled that she will now have the opportunity to enjoy her well-deserved retirement in her golden years,’ Campbell added.
After spending her entire career at St Joseph’s, Van Neel has a lot to look back on.
‘When I retire, I will miss the kids more than anything else. The nuns that were at St Joseph’s when I arrived have either died or gone back to Germany with just one of them, now at 92 and still at the convent in Pinelands. I also see myself in many ways as a grandmother to the children we care for, so I will miss them the most,’ said Van Neel.
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Picture: Supplied
