December 17, 2024
Karen Kristianson, left, and Darlene Yaroslawsky, members of the Hays Seniors quilting group, helped to create more than 180 stockings for hospital patients. Supplied.
Martha Froese, left, and Isabella Neufeld fill stockings with treats and comfort items. The handmade stockings will be delivered to patients at the Taber Health Centre for Christmas. Photo by Kelly Morris.
AHS volunteers, Martha Froese, left, Isabella Neufeld and Joe Constantine got together in early December at the Taber Health to fill the stockings made by the Hays Seniors quilters with gifts purchased by Volunteer Resources with funds raised by the Taber & District Health Foundation. Photo by Kelly Morris.
Story & photos by Kelly Morris
A group of creative quilters from Hays are helping bring holiday joy to rural healthcare centres across the South Zone, sewing more than 180 stockings to be filled with gifts and treats and given to patients for Christmas.
At the Hays Seniors Citizen Centre, a sewing room full of fabric inspired the group to start stitching — and they’re thrilled to share their efforts with those in need.
“It was a shame that all this fabric was sitting there doing nothing,” says quilter Margaret Kress. “We started with quilts. Then asked, where are we going to send them, what are we going to do with them all?”
Reaching out to Alberta Health Services (AHS), the sewers found a home for their quilts and were given ideas of other things that were needed, giving them some variety and a lot of drive.
“We’re just a like-minded community of sewers — everybody is so happy to make things that go somewhere, where there’s a real purpose,” adds quilter Judy Carlson. “I think it’s what keeps everybody coming with new ideas of things we could do, and be creative in making some of the things we’re asked to do.”
When AHS asked for Christmas stockings, the group whipped together 182 stockings that were sent to Volunteer Resources at Brooks, Cardston, Milk River and Taber health centres. Local auxiliaries and foundations supported the purchase of gifts and volunteers got the stockings ready to hand out to patients on Christmas morning.
At the Taber Health Centre, volunteers Isabella Neufeld, Joe Constantine and Martha Froese, gathered in early December to prepare stockings and gift bundles for patients in acute care and long-term care.
“I’ve been in hospital before during Christmas and it’s definitely not a fun time,” says Froese. “I remember my nurses bringing me a little bit of a Christmas present — and that meant so much to me.”
Preparing 30 stockings — nine for residents in long-term care — Meagan Piller, volunteer coordinator for Taber and Bow Island, thoughtfully selected blankets for each long-term resident, and spent months watching for great deals and useful gifts.
“I talked with Therapeutic Recreation staff on the units to find out what they might want, especially those in long-term care,” says Piller.
“Everyone is getting reading socks, tea, lotion … items that really anybody could use.”
The gifts bring comfort and joy to patients — a reminder that it’s Christmas.
“The foundation is honored to support the purchase of gifts for the annual Christmas stocking program at the Taber Health Centre,” says Aline Holmen, director of Fundraising and Development.
“Our goal is to ensure that patients and residents feel valued and know that they are cared for, especially during the holiday season.”
