Serving up care: Janice Rivera brings a family touch to every plate
October 9, 2026
By Quinn Phillips, senior advisor, media relations and public engagement
For the past 11 years, Janice Rivera has been ensuring that residents of the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre are getting the food they want and need.
Starting as a server, Janice is now a diet clerk, working with new residents to ensure they receive the proper meals to match their requests.
A big job considering there are nearly 500 residents at Edmonton General.
“I’m very thankful to my employer and supervisor for seeing my potential,” said Janice. “They really look out for the staff who want to grow more.”
After years of experience in restaurants and fast-food establishments, Janice loves that she gets to be more involved with the residents’ food.
“We are the ones doing the plating for the resident,” said Janice. “How we serve the food is going to be very important to the resident because we want it to be appealing.”
Serving three meals a day to residents who require good nutrition is no easy feat. Janice bursts with pride when talking about the food services team she works with. Some of them arrive as early as 4:30 a.m. to prepare breakfast.
“We take care of our residents no matter what,” said Janice. “When I was doing the serving, I always knew I really need to take care of these people like my grandma and my grandpa, when they were still here.”
Recently, the food services staff at Covenant’s Edmonton General created a special menu for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Oktoberfest. They’ll also create Thanksgiving feasts for residents and families.
“I’m incredibly grateful for our food service team and all the hard work they do each day,” said Corinne Burns, manager of Nutrition, Food, Linen and Environmental Services at Edmonton General. “From the supervisors coordinating operations and the clerks managing the tallies, to the chefs preparing meals, the employees portioning food for 18 units and the food service workers delivering carts and serving meals, every role is essential.”
And as residents and families gather around the table this Thanksgiving, Janice and her team will be right there making sure every plate feels like home.