Here's a story from the current issue of "The Visioneer," which includes project updates on Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio's New Vision Campaign. The compete issue of the newsletter is in an attachment at the bottom of this story.

“Suzie” was among the first elders to move to Willow Ridge. Because of a stroke suffered five years earlier, Suzie had difficulty finding words, finishing thoughts and interacting with people. A few weeks after Suzie moved to Willow Ridge, she was enjoying the hearth room when she began speaking.

“Did you get all that? Did you get it?” Shahbaz “Allie” asked Suzie what she needed and Suzie began listing ingredients, “A cup of flour, a cup of sugar…” Allie wrote as Suzie called them out. Next came an event that would have been next to impossible in the traditional nursing home setting. The Shahbazim brought Suzie into the kitchen, washed her hands, adorned her with a hairnet and gloves and put the ingredients of her recipe into a bowl.

Suzie kneaded the dough. The Shahbazim helped Suzie drop the dough onto a cookie sheet and put it into the oven.

She reminded them to make sure the biscuits didn’t burn! Finally, Suzie, shared freshly baked biscuits with the other elders of the home. Suzie is now a regular in the kitchen, a “normal” activity that she has not been able to enjoy since her stroke.