Gifted handmade shawls offer Pine Crest residents comfort and warmth

A Foto News reader, who asked to remain anonymous, recently gifted Pine Crest Health and Memory Care residents with comfort and warmth when she donated 27 hand-crocheted shawls to the facility, specifically requesting they be distributed to residents who were experiencing cold or chills.
Holly Boehm, Life Enrichment Aide at Pine Crest, spoke with the donor during the delivery and learned the motivation behind the gift.
“She had a loved one that was in a nursing home, and every time they went in the hall and everything, they were just freezing,” Boehm said. “She just wanted to make sure that she could help people out so they didn’t go through the same thing, so they weren’t cold.”
The donor specifically chose to make shawls rather than lap robes because people often catch drafts on the back of their necks, particularly when moving between different areas of the facility.
The shawls may prove useful year-round, Boehm said, noting that residents might find them helpful even during summer months when air conditioning can make the building cold.

All of the shawls, made thick and longer than many traditional styles, have been distributed to residents, with many going to those in memory care, Boehm said. Recipients were able to choose which shawl they wanted from the collection.
Lois Ullman, one of the recipients, said she wore her shawl in the dining room after a therapy session. The dining room is colder than other parts of the facility, she said. Ullman’s message to the anonymous donor: “Thank you so much.”
Fellow Pine Crest resident and shawl recipient June Beltz was pleased to have the option to select her own from the donations. She said red is her favorite color, and she was delighted to find a red shawl available to choose.
While Pine Crest doesn’t need any additional shawls at the moment, the donor, who insisted she wants to remain anonymous, said she would like to challenge others who enjoy crocheting to do something similar. She encouraged crafters to donate their creations to another nursing home or assisted living facility.