Meet NAPE/AFSCME member Aidan Bridges, a Food Service Worker at the Western Nebraska Veterans Home (WNVH). Aidan is responsible for cooking and serving meals to approximately 75 veterans’ home residents, known as “members,” and various staff every day.
Aidan has always loved to cook, but that’s just one of the many things he enjoys about his job.
“My favorite part is absolutely the members,” he said. “I get to chat with them sometimes in the halls, and if a member comes up and wants to talk I like to sit down with them if I can.”
Outside of work, Aidan likes to challenge himself in the kitchen. The last thing he made was a flank steak with a red butter sauce, a carrot puree, and butternut squash soup.
Aidan joined our union during the last round of contract negotiations because he wanted the opportunity to become involved and have a voice. During the next round of negotiations, Aidan wants to advocate for a steadier schedule — but other than that, there’s not much else Aidan would change about his job.
“This is a wonderful job,” he said. “I love the cooking, but ultimately I enjoy building relationships with the members. They’re an amazing bunch of people to work around and for. That’s the biggest thing for me — I’m here for them.”
Unsurprisingly, Aidan spends much of his free time cooking and testing new recipes. When he’s not doing that, he likes to play video games and fish.