By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The Crawford County Council on Aging decided to throw its doors open Friday and brag about itself a bit.
The organization played host not only to an open house, but also to a ribbon cutting for its new kitchen addition. Roughly eight months since the ground was broken on the project, Council on Aging recently saw the addition come to completion.
The new kitchen, shining with stainless steel equipment, now allows for the Council on Aging cooks and volunteers to have more room to prepare, cook, and package the hot dinners that are delivered each day to over 200 residents in Bucyrus, Galion, and Crestline. Frozen dinners are also delivered throughout the week for residents outside the municipalities.
The kitchen features extensive counter space, a skillet for soups, meats, and noodles, double steamers, double cooktops, and a bigger refrigerator and freezer.
“It is so exciting, for the staff especially. They enjoy it, they’re having a great time in here,” said Council on Aging Executive Director Cassie Herschler. “We can move around – the other kitchen was so small. They were kind of falling over each other.”
The addition showed just how much more space is available as community members continuously came through the doors to tour the space.
“It’ll be great for the community, too, because we’ll be able to do more mass production,” Herschler added.
As of right now, Council on Aging does not do its own frozen production, something that Herschler hopes will change soon now that the new kitchen gives them more options.
Council on Aging board members Michelle Warner-Backer and Ed Wise were happy to finally see the project completed after years of discussions.
“As long as it serves a purpose for them,” remarked Warner-Backer. “We love it. It’s been a long wait, but it’s been well worth it.”
“I think it’s a dream come true for the organization,” Wise added. “This is my first trip in it and it’s very lovely.”
The Council on Aging center was also open to celebrate Older Americans Month.
The new addition, coming with a $390,000 price tag just for the building, was from funding that had been set aside by the Council on Aging.
The Crawford County Council on Aging center and kitchen is located at 200 S. Spring St., Bucyrus.
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