The University of New Mexico’s Facilities Management celebrates Custodial Appreciation Week through Friday, Sept. 21 in honor of National Custodial Appreciation Day.

Custodial Services will host a celebration Sept. 21 in the Hokona Ballroom to honor the custodial staff and all their effort and accomplishments. The event will also honor employees with perfect attendance and employees who were accident free over the past year.

UNM has more than 140 custodial workers who come in early before the day starts and long after the day has ended. These duties include trash, dusting, performing floor care, cleaning restrooms and more.

“As we recognize that our work environments need to be welcoming and in a condition that we can comfortably perform our tasks each day, I want to remind us all that there are people who help assure that we can count on a clean and orderly space,” said Facilities Management Director Al Sena Sena. “It is a function which most do not see get performed, as custodial staff are usually in very early or after the day has been completed.”

Sena knows first-hand the value of custodial workers having served as a custodian early in his career and encourages all Lobos to take a moment to say thank you to the UNM custodial staff

“I recall a feeling that making someone’s space better and knowing I could affect their day in a positive way was rewarding,” he said. “I also recall, it was not very frequent that I would get feedback from those people because our schedules were different. This week I encourage that we take a moment to say thank you with a note or, if able, say hello and share an appreciative word.”

The celebration event is sponsored by donations from Custodial Services vendors and the UNM Staff Council.