When Hilda Unger wakes up every morning, she can’t wait to craft something with her hands at Buffalo Crossings Assistant Living facility.
Like many other residents, this is her way of extending support to those in need.
The residents of Buffalo Crossings came together to create 14 T-shirt bags from T-shirts and beads in a single day. The bags will be filled with necessary items such as drawing books, shampoo, body wash, stuffed animals and other essential items.
“We also plan on doing necklaces and items for the hair,” said Sheila Pradeilhes, activities assistant for Buffalo Crossings. “But for now, we continue to make T-shirt bags.”
These bags are made for moms and their kids visiting Shepherd’s LightHouse for assistance. Shepherd’s LightHouse is a charitable organization based in Belleview that tends to single, homeless or abused women get back on their feet.
“The bags will give the children something to do and will give the mothers items they need. Plus, it will give them a purse they can carry around that has been made from love,” said Pradeilhes.
For now, the group will just be making items for Shepherd’s LightHouse, but they are looking forward to reaching out to as many as possible.
“These ladies are amazing, and they have such big hearts,” she said. “They are very dedicated and enjoy what they are doing because it gives them a sense of pride.”
Pradeilhes demonstrated the best way to make the shirt bags. Basically, the bottom seam, sleeves and neckline had to be cut at the seam.
“Those will later be used for the handles,” she explained to the women as she demonstrated on a shirt. “Next, we will cut into the shirt, and it will become the bottom and the fringe, which can later be decorated with beads.”
All the shirts the ladies were working on came through donations and charities. Unger was particularly delighted to learn of the shirts’ source.
“I think it’s wonderful that there are so many groups or people who are connected by these shirts or bags as they will soon be,” she said. “We just like helping others, and it’s nice that we can all look out for each other and make a difference.”
Doris White, a first-time participant, was very enthusiastic about the group’s endeavors.
“It’s a little harder than I originally thought,” she said. “But they look beautiful.”