Introducing Mary & Joseph

As emerging technology is utilized around the world to battle post-pandemic staffing shortages, Masonic Village at Elizabethtown is enlisting the help of some special dining service team members to ensure their staff is supported and available to do the jobs that really count.

Meet robots Mary and Joseph, dining services’ newest serving staff additions. The robots joined the team in October and December of last year and have been a hit with residents and staff since their arrival.

In response to the staffing shortages faced by the dining services department, assistant director Mike Alampi worked alongside other executive members to find ways to alleviate the strain on their limited staff.

“We saw robots in action at several other retirement living communities near Philadelphia,” Mike said. “We were further encouraged after speaking with the chefs, servers and residents in these communities about how their operations had improved despite hiring crises.”

What they came up with was Mary, officially “Matradee” per her manufacturer, nicknamed by administrative assistant Carron Wagner. Joseph, who arrived just in time for Christmas, seemed a natural counterpart and seasonal reference.

The robots can be found working in the Restaurants at Grand Lodge Hall, where they perform basic tasks, primarily delivering food from the kitchen directly to the table.

From there, a server will remove the food from the tray and serve the resident, then send the robot back to the kitchen to pick up and deliver the next order.

“The robots save many trips back and forth to the kitchen looking for food that is ready to be served,” Mike said. “Now the servers only need to go to the kitchen for beverages and desserts, or to clear used dishes.”

As the staff gains experience utilizing the robots, Mary and Joseph will eventually be able to take the used dishes back to the kitchen on their own, freeing even more time for servers to spend with residents. The robots can also sing “Happy Birthday” or a Christmas carol if requested.

Resident Mary Jones (shown above with one of the robots), who is approaching the two-year anniversary of her move to Masonic Village, jokes that she is the namesake of the robot Mary.

“I think Lucy and Ricardo would be wonderful new names for the robots, but I really can’t think of a better name than my own,” she joked.

Mary recalled her first impression of the robots as they served her dinner in Grand Lodge.

The strong relationships between staff and residents were evident in the initial reservations some diners had about the robots taking jobs away from staff members. However, Mike insists this will never be the case, as Mary and Joseph are here to support the servers, making their loads lighter and residents’ experience more enjoyable.

“That face time between residents and staff is so necessary for the improvement of the high quality of life for residents at Masonic Village, and Mary and Joseph only add to that,” Mike said.

Mary echoed his praises of the new team members, which have now become familiar faces at mealtimes.

“They’re a neat and fun element of the dining experience on campus, plus I think they’re great conversation starters,” she said. “They ensure the wonderful staff here have time to interact with and provide assistance to residents, which is their most important job.”

In the future, other departments at Masonic Village could utilize similar technology to perform tasks like delivering medication or transporting cleaning supplies from one location to another, all with the goal of supporting staff and increasing resident quality of living.

“Within the course of just a few hours on the floor, the staff saw the benefits of the robots,” Mike said. “I know it sounds backwards, but having them here allows for a more personal dining experience between servers and residents. Mary and Joseph never call off and are always ready to serve the next meal on the docket.”

Mary and Joseph, who wear their own name tags alongside fellow staff members, have proved to be a great help to the serving staff in the restaurants, which has resulted in a better dining experience overall for residents.

By Natalie Torta, public relations associate