MASON SQUARE SENIOR CENTER GIVES HOMEMADE

BLANKETS TO NEWBORNS

By Gloria Wilson, Director

The Christmas spirit was evidenced by the giving that went on at the Mason Square Senior Center (“MSSC”) this past holiday season. Many of the senior participants at the Center have given to the community for years in one way or another. For the past two years, MSSC participants have “tied blankets,” which were primarily given away at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Annual Baby Shower. It’s such a great thing when you see a baby in the community with one of the blankets made by our seniors.

This year we are continuing to work on a project that was started last year where our seniors knit, crochet or tie a blanket for newborns delivered at Mercy Medical Center who are part of the “Welcome Baby Program.” What started as a small project with 100 yards of flannel fabric expanded into a big project with 200 yards of fabric with the seniors completing 100 blankets in two weeks!

Were folks busy before Christmas? Yes, but most still gave an hour or two and completed one or two blankets, which was truly very therapeutic, especially since the volunteers knew that a newborn would go home over the holidays in a new, cheerful and warm homemade blanket.

This project is symbolic of how the Center enjoys giving back. What’s unique about the project is that Janet Denny, Director of Elder Affairs for the city of Springfield, and I are working collaboratively to involve not just Mason Square seniors, but also seniors from Greenleaf Community Center, Hungry Hill, Mayflower, Pine Point, and Riverview and Andrew Cade, Sr. Vice President Productive Aging of the Springfield Urban League, sent over a number of “cheerful volunteers” from the Urban League’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program who worked with the Mason Square Center seniors.

We still have a lot of fabric and we welcome anyone who can knit or crochet. For many babies this will be their only homemade blanket. For more details about this project or for general information, call Gloria Wilson, RN at (413) 733-3917. The Mason Square Senior Center is a luncheon site and has other programs that benefit seniors and the community. n