By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist
“These baskets mean someone is caring for them, even when they’re not there…. it’s no longer just their problem,” said Lisa Whitman, a registered nurse for the Hospice Team.
Relief Society sisters from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Evans Ranch Ward have been busy collecting, crocheting, sewing and baking items for the past two months to fill 47 baskets full of love for hospice patients.
“This is not the only thing they have done for us,” said Laura Brown, Administrator for Hospice Services, “their Church also built a wheelchair ramp for one of our hospice patients.”
Brown continued, “This is such a gift, …many of our patients are socially isolated…. Many of them cannot get out, and they feel like they are forgotten by family and friends and by the rest of the world as they grow sicker and sicker.” Brown mentioned that in health care the focus is always on the disease. She said, “One of our challenges is to get the focus off of the disease and back on the person. Things like these baskets do that. This is such a gift, straight from the heart. It’s just amazing!”
Tamara Patterson, 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society presidency said there were actually three projects in one. The first project was to take shirts from hospice patients and make bears with them. These bears are then delivered to the families after their loved ones have passed on. The truly unique bears hopefully bring comfort to the family.
The second project was to make prayer shawls. Patterson said, “We ended up with so many shawls that we put one in each of the larger baskets. The prayer shawls are kind of like lap blankets that they can wrap around their shoulders for comfort and for prayer.”
The third dimension of the project was to assemble the gift baskets. The Medical Team Hospice center asked for two types of baskets: a “comfort basket” which is larger and meant to give comfort to the whole family; a “care basket” which is smaller. Patterson said, “The smaller basket is specifically for the family member who is waiting, sitting for hours every day, caring for their loved ones.”
Brown said of their Hospice efforts: “What we do is consistent with every belief system, it is about love and caring and opening up your heart, regardless of what someone believes. This is about relieving suffering and helping someone take that next step on the path.”
Gina Underwood, President of the Hill Country Stake’s Evans Ranch Ward Relief Society mentioned that this opportunity for service has helped to unify the sisters in the ward. Recognizing that many of the skills used to put these baskets together are quickly becoming a lost art, they have started a needlework group. There will be sewing, crocheting and other projects taught to a younger generation. Once a month they will meet in someone’s home. Sisters will bring their projects and have a potluck afterwards.