Last May marked Edna Wisniewski’s ten-year anniversary of working as a maintenance technician for EDEN. Within that decade, coworkers and tenants alike have noticed and appreciated her kind ways, gentle spirit and top-notch maintenance skills. This combination eventually led to her new position as the full-time maintenance technician in Emerald Commons, the new supportive housing project.
Edna, who graduated from the West Side Institute of Technology’s building maintenance program, is the only woman in EDEN’s maintenance department. Even so, she doesn’t feel she has anything to prove because she knows her fellow maintenance workers respect her. “That’s important,” she says.
Throughout the years she spent making repairs at EDEN-owned properties, Edna went out of her way to listen to tenants’ concerns and always offered a sympathetic ear. “A few minutes doesn’t hurt anything,” she explains. Tenants appreciated Edna’s friendliness and willingness to listen. In fact, in EDEN’s annual tenant survey, tenants often list Edna’s name as “one of the best things about EDEN.”
Edna’s days of traveling to and from various properties came to an end when EDEN management offered her the maintenance position in Emerald Commons. Edna was thrilled to accept the position,
and appreciates the stability of working in one building. So far, she already feels right at home working in Emerald Commons. Her daily responsibilities include taking care of any repairs and working with the building’s contractors. She also still makes the occasional visit to another EDEN property for repair work.
Emerald Commons recently reached its capacity of 52 tenants, and Edna’s busy learning all their names. Many of these tenants were chronically homeless before moving into Emerald Commons, so Edna is sure to answer any questions they might have about their units, such as how the smoke detectors or emergency sprinklers work.
Working in this new supportive housing project allows Edna to watch as previously homeless tenants regain stability. “They just can’t believe it,” she says of the thankful new tenants. “They say, ‘I’m in heaven . . . I’m never leaving.’”
Even when she’s not at work, Edna puts her compassionate nature to use. This spring, she and her son will help pass out meals with The Hunger Bus, a local church’s meal delivery program. And it’s no surprise she looks forward to what she calls EDEN’s “bonding days,” which include the holiday party and Play Day. “I like the interaction with other employees,” she says.
Considering Edna’s friendly personality and work ethic, those tenants are right – she really is one of the best EDEN has to offer.
