Residents at The Glebe Handcraft From the Heart

Anne Da Costa loves to sew. She is well-known around The Glebe’s campus for her superior talent behind a sewing machine. So, as the severity of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic becomes more and more apparent, nurses and team members at the community knew who to turn to for protection.

“The clinic nurse asked me to sew her a mask and then someone else saw it and before I knew it, I was making them for everyone who asks,” she said.

In fact, in just the past few days she has made 18 masks and has the fabric cut out for another 30 more. Executive Director Ellen D’Ardenne received one of the handcrafted masks, and she said it warmed her heart and brought tears to her eyes.

“The residents know I love chickens. As you can see, my mask has chickens all over it,” she said. “The fabric, the hands that sew them, the smiles they provide to the staff to have something so special made just for them: Wow!”

Executive Director Ellen D’Ardenne wears a customized mask, handcrafted by residents.

The Glebe has masks to distribute should anyone in the community test positive for COVID-19. D’Ardenne said they have not needed those masks. However, team members in the clinic and health care area are wearing masks made for them by Da Costa as a preventative measure.

“The residents want to lend a hand. This gives them a way to feel like they are contributing to the staff’s health and wellness,” D’Ardenne said. “They are why we do what we do every day. I love them, and can’t imagine being anywhere else.”