A loving, handmade gift from the Knitting Club at Spruce View Lodge

Over the last few months, a group of seniors at Spruce View Lodge, lovingly called The Knitting

Club created two beautiful blankets featuring colours from across the rainbow. Working as a

team, the group devised 45 squares for each blanket and put everything together. The shared

project is heartwarming enough, but their decision to gift the blankets will absolutely melt your

heart.

They decided to donate both blankets to the Wellspring Family Resource and Crisis Centre so

that clients staying in the center could feel their love as they wrapped a one-of-a-kind, feels-like

home blanket around themselves on what could be the worst day of their lives. “It means such a

great deal. So much love goes into doing something like this, and the clients appreciate it. They

know how much love gets put into it. They get comforted by something like this because they

know there are people in our community, our seniors, that care so much to make these

homemade items that they can take with them or leave behind for other clients,” said Renee

Laventure, Wellspring Administrator.

On Wednesday, October 2, Laventure was presented with the blankets by the members of the

Knitting Club. “When you cuddle yourself in one of these blankets, it’s like a home away from

home, even though they aren’t in their home yet. It’s comfy and comforting, and they can hug it

and know they are safe and loved,” she said emotionally.

Laventure explained that over the last two weeks, the Wellspring shelter had been full, showing

how important the facility is for women and children who need a temporary home and support to

deal with whatever had them running. She said the blankets would provide a necessary hug.

“You don’t realize what’s going on in our community that makes them need to go there or how

much our services and building are needed for them. It’s eye-opening to know that. I think they

would take it more to heart and to comfort knowing that it’s handmade. You can buy a blanket in

a store at any time, but the ones who made these spent hours and days doing it, and you can

feel the love that went into it.”

One of the residents and Knitting Club member, Joyce Hahnekamp, used to work at the

Whitecourt shelter years ago and said the need for the support was evident then and has only

grown. She recalled her experience. “It was a tiny space then. It was only the front area of

where the Beaver Creek store is, and all we had was the door for a window, and it was

bulletproof glass. The need was there, and it was traumatic, but it was wonderful that it was

there. Wellspring is a good thing,” she said.

Resident Gay Sebo said the blanket idea came from Shirley Olson. “She had seen in the city, at

one of the hospitals,  they kept a table there with knitting and wool and things, that people could take, and I thought we could do that here. So, we started. We are having a very

enjoyable time doing it.”

Olson quickly pointed to another member of the club, Heidi Linde. “I would like to particularly

thank Heidi. She did all the work putting them (the 45 squares) together while sick, and that’s

not easy, and she’s 93 years old.” Linde said she was glad to know the blankets would be

enjoyed. “I’m happy that I know where they go to comfort people. I was sick for a couple of

days, and I was sitting there crocheting them together. So, that makes me happy now.”

Sebo was the encourager and said she was grateful that the ladies joined. She said the

experience of working on a unified project has become something they all look forward to and

that they look forward to making more things to donate. “This group has been good for us.

Before, we were more individuals, but now we have something that draws us individually

together as a group, and we love it.”

Clarissa Canda Titong, Activity Coordinator at Spruceview Lodge Whitecourt, said the smiles on

the residents’ faces show how much the project has benefited the seniors. “When we started

doing it, and I could see the smiles of just being together without really doing anything except

having coffee and tea and talking together while doing their crochet, that brought a smile to me.

We were only going to do it for a couple of months, but now, because they are enjoying it, it’s on

our monthly calendar. It brings them joy.”

Laventure said she was beyond grateful to the seniors for their kindness and generosity. “I’m on

the verge of tears because this is so heartwarming that you have done this for us. I want to pass

on a big thank you from all of us at Wellspring and our clients, who will appreciate this. We can’t

thank you enough. Your generosity in taking time out of your days and life is very gracious. We

don’t take that for granted at all.”

Titong said giving back feels good for everyone. “This is how we give back to the community

because we get a lot from our fundraisers, and this is the best tool to give back.  And, as you

can see, they are all smiling,” as she pointed to the ladies before her with big smiles on their

faces. “I am very happy because another wish of theirs just came true, to give back to the

community and express that seniors can still do something to make this world a better place.”

Resident Kay added that it felt good. “We get a lot of help from the community and the town,

and it’s so good to be able to give back a little bit. It makes you feel good,” to which several

ladies responded with an Amen. “It’s true,” responded Hahnekamp. “When you are not on the

receiving end, but on the giving end, it feels good.”

Hahnekamp added that it’s up to the younger seniors entering the lodge to keep it going. “We

who have started this now are old. The ones who will come in are young. They need to know

that there’s a future and that there’s love. A lot of times out there in the world, every generation

looks after themselves and the one that’s coming along, they don’t even know anything about

how to do it. Well, the more you give them what you’ve got and what you’ve had, the better off

they will be.”

Anyone wanting to donate to The Knitting Club or the activities at Spruce View Lodge is

encouraged to do so. “We used to get a lot of yarn donations from the community, but because

of the pandemic, it’s kind of stopped,” explained Titong. Their wish list for donations also

includes different materials for crafts. “We are always in need of pieces of fabric, or yarn or

anything that has to do with making crafts,” she added.

Thank you to Spruce View Lodge for inviting the Whitecourt Press to be part of such a special

moment. Great job, ladies!