MOUNT VERNON — From pumpkin carving to gingerbread houses, it’s fair to say that Ohio Eastern Star Home seniors have a competitive side. They also get many opportunities to let it show.
One such opportunity was the recent 2022 OESH Soup Contest judged by Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr. Following a cooking demo led by the Gallagher Center’s head chef, seniors and staff members put their skills to the test in a Top Chef style soup-off.
The directive was a simple one: Make the best chicken noodle soup on campus. But traditional meals can be tough to knock out of the park. Everybody’s tried chicken noodle soup countless times, and most people have made it before, too.
This makes for a pretty high bar, but it turns out there are more than a few capable chefs on campus beyond the kitchen staff. Many of them rose to the occasion and made the contest a tight one.
Given all the entries, it was far from an easy decision. After taste testing each of the entries, Starr awarded the crown to staff member David Price. The mayor said it was his favorite because it brought back childhood memories of his grandma making chicken pot pie for her family.
“They all were delighted to taste the variety of different soups, and the staff was thrilled to be a part of the friendly competition this activity brought,” says Marci Thomas, director of Life Enrichment at OESH. “Elders enjoyed prepping and cooking the chicken noodle soup here on campus, and they were very excited to be able to meet the mayor for the city of Mount Vernon.”
“We are blessed to have our Life Enrichment team to provide our seniors with compassion, care, and community,” says Crystal Snell, director of marketing. “Serving alongside our elders and family as care partners is the person-centered modality that sets The Ohio Eastern Star Home apart in our caregiving. It’s what we aspire to daily at OESH. It was truly an honor to have Mayor Matt Star give his time to our elders and be a part of this with us!”
The Mount Vernon community has also proven an incredible source of support for the campus. Police officers and firefighters took time out of their day in 2020 to participate in a COVID campus car parade just to give the isolated OESH seniors a wave.
John Sachleben CDR (Ret) USN and the Navy Junior ROTC members from Highland High School visited last Veterans Day to honor each of the retired service members on campus with an official ceremony. The recent visit from Starr carries forward something of a community tradition.
