Tire Worker Becomes Award-Winning Care Home Food Manager

Steve Reves spent 14 years alone with machines in a Kansas tire factory, never imagining food service would change his life. A shoulder injury forced him to consider new work, and memories of his high school job as a nursing home dietary aide led him back to senior care.

"Definitely not where I pictured myself but it's where I should have been a long time ago," Reves says about joining Good Samaritan Society in Wamego over two years ago. Now the nutrition and food services manager, he's discovered something powerful: he's actually a people person.

Leading a team that cooks meals for more than 50 residents daily, Reves treats food as medicine and mealtimes as moments of connection. He personalizes every menu, checks in with residents during meals and in their rooms, and makes sure each person gets exactly what they want.

His impact shows up in real results. When Hiram Torres moved in with dementia, his daughter Sonia Paz Torres worried about his health as he refused to eat and grew angry. In two years, everything changed.

Torres now participates in activities and eats every meal. Reves sends Paz Torres the weekly menu so she can choose dishes her Puerto Rican father will enjoy, and Torres has gained back the weight he lost.

"He doesn't do his job. He goes above and beyond what he needs to be doing," Paz Torres says. The care gives her peace of mind knowing her father is loved whether she's there or not.

Sunny's Take

Reves doesn't see his work as a job. "It feels like extended family," he says, and that warmth radiates through the entire facility in Wamego.

His positive influence on residents and teammates earned him the National Ever Forward Leader Champion award for Good Samaritan this year. Administrator Angie Barber says he shows everyone what good leadership looks like, while resident Lynda Morris notes he could work anywhere but chose to be there with them.

Known as quiet and introverted, Reves credits his success to listening. His team comes up with great ideas every week, and he takes time to think through every suggestion.

"I just love this place," Reves says about his career switch. A dream come true born from an injury that pushed him toward people instead of machines.