Rebecca Wagner, Casa Di Vita’s Food Services Specialist

A Food Service Expert

Rebecca Wagner is Casa Di Vita’s Food Service Specialist, and she has extensive experience in food service. In fact, she was a General Manager at a local restaurant for almost twelve years. “I’ve done everything from the very bottom, to just serving, to having my name on the building,” she said. Rebecca is ServSafe certified, as well, and said she “aced” the test the first time she took it.

When it comes to managing a kitchen, Rebecca’s experience comes in handy. She’s only been with us for two years, but she almost immediately became a critical component of our agency-wide food service team. Rebecca helps out wherever she can, and she trains new Food Service Specialists. You can tell her heart is definitely in the job, too. When asked about her favorite dish to make, she said it was tacos. “I’ve never met anyone in my life that doesn’t like tacos,” she said with a laugh.

2020 Brings Its Challenges

Everyone acknowledges that 2020 came with challenges, and Rebecca managed both personal and professional ones last year. Caz Recovery spent much of 2020 implementing wellness activities within our programs despite COVID’s difficulties. These activities included gardening, plant-based cooking classes, yoga, and more. Rebecca encouraged residents to engage in these services at her program.

While all of this was happening at Casa Di Vita, Rebecca also essentially had to plan two weddings. She finalized all the plans needed for her wedding in September until the resurgence of COVID forced her to re-plan everything and start from scratch. Thankfully, it worked out for the best. “It turned out great,” said Rebecca. “Nothing went as planned, and everybody had a wonderful time.”

A Special Connection to Casa

It’s clear that Rebecca is an important member of the team at Casa Di Vita. The program holds a special place in her heart, too, since she was a previous resident. We actually featured her story in 2018. Rebecca views her job as her “service work” in many ways. “It’s very important for me to give back every day in my own recovery” she explained. Not only does she oversee the program’s food service operations, but she can relate to residents on a peer level. “I can give them little ins and outs knowing that I was in their position at one point,” she said. These days, Rebecca is inspired by her past knowing where she was compared to where she is today. “It’s very obtainable,” she said of her success in recovery. “You just can’t be afraid of a little hard work.”