“The volunteers at Applewood possess such empathy and compassion! For several years, they have donated hundreds (thousands?) of knitted and crocheted soap sacks to food pantries in their community. They are an extraordinary group of individuals who provide love and a little dignity to people in need. I want to thank each and every one of them for believing in our mission of spreading kindness, one sack at a time! I am appreciative beyond words.”
Stacy Wiener-Founder – S.A.C.K. – Supporting a Community with Kindness
Three mornings a week, the craft room at Applewood is filled with residents who knit, crochet, and needlepoint hand-crafted works of art that are mostly donated to help others. Over time, this talented and social group has steadily grown; recently, additional seating was needed to accommodate newcomers. No experience is necessary to join and the members are always eager to teach or re-teach knitting, crochet or any thread or yarn craft.
Over the past decade, the group has donated countless baby blankets to CentraState Medical Center and crafted lap blankets for Skilled Nursing residents. Several years ago, the group began making cotton soap sacks that hold a soap bar and can be used as a washcloth. The group discovered S.A.C.K., located on the Jersey Shore, and donated 1,000+ soap sacks to the not-for-profit group since 2017.
The soap sack, which holds a full-size soap bar, is made from cotton yarn so it may also be used as a washcloth.
During the past several years, the group also provided hand-crafted sacks to additional organizations, including:
- Interfaith Food Bank of the Oranges
- Afghanistan refugees housed at McGuire-Dix Air Force Base
- Covenant House (NYC)
- Mbiriizi Primary School in Uganda
- Philippine hurricane victims (2021)
“We donate soap sacks where they’re needed most,” says resident coordinator Yvonne Clark. “When people have lost everything, we hope that our soap sacks play a small role in helping to regain their foothold in life and begin recovery.”
“This remarkable effort has been 100% driven by our residents,” says Keith Grady, Executive Director at Applewood. “Seniors are eager and motivated to give back to their community and social accountability plays a significant role in our Engaged Living™ lifestyle experiences.”
At Applewood, we strive to make our senior community the best it can be, but also support and actively participate in the community around us. As a not-for-profit organization, our residents and staff are fully committed to giving back locally, regionally, nationally and globally. Learn more about our commitment to social accountability: https://fellowshiplifeinc.org/applewood/social-accountability/
