On Thursday mornings at Cedarhurst of Tesson Heights, the hum of conversation mingles with the soft rhythm of fabric being pulled beneath a needle. Squares of patterned cotton are spread across tables. An iron hisses. Someone laughs.
At one end of the table, Doris Lake carefully guides her stitching. Not long ago, she says, she couldn’t even sew a button.
“I couldn’t sew,” she laughs now. In fact, she once hated sewing—the last time she tried was in high school. Today, she’s part of something much bigger than a craft.
The quilting group began simply enough. Barb Jackson discovered that Life Enrichment Coordinator Glenette Nothum quilted. Another resident, Rose, quilted. Vera sewed. They started talking—about fabric, about patterns, about what they might create together.
Some had quilting experience; others were beginners. The goal, though, wasn’t simply to learn something new, it was to do something for others.
“It has always been about doing something for others,” Doris says. “It is better to give than receive.”
“Because they are the neediest,” says Mary Carson quietly. Mary knows that experience personally. She was once a foster child herself.
The room grows thoughtful when the women talk about veterans. “We really need to give to them,” Doris says. “They have given a lot to us.”
As they sew, they imagine the quilts draped across a lap, tucked around a sleeping baby, or wrapped around someone who needs warmth in more ways than one.
“It really does matter,” Doris says. “We are giving some of us to somebody else. It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it. I enjoy it.”
Barb nods. “To bring joy to other people and maybe brighten their day or their time.”
Kath Cutak admits she’s not a natural quilter. When she’s stitching, she concentrates carefully on the task in front of her. But she understands the deeper purpose.
That kindness extends beyond foster children and veterans. For Valentine’s Day, the group created small, quilted hearts to share with fellow residents—simple, handmade reminders that someone cares.
“We have a lot of fun,” Mary says. “We laugh, and we build friendships here for ourselves.”
“There is nothing like accomplishing something together,” Kath adds. “When you accomplish something with friends, there’s a special bond.”
Their mission has grown in practical ways, too. During the fall craft sale, the group sold quilted items and held a raffle, raising $180. Every dollar went back into fabric and supplies—fuel to continue the work.
Life Enrichment Coordinator Glenette Nothum sees more than fabric taking shape each week.
For Barb, quilting engages both hands and mind. “Why do I enjoy this? I love doing things with my hands; using my brain.”
But what keeps them returning each week is something deeper. “It’s good to be needed and have a purpose and know somebody’s depending on you for something,” Kath adds.
Barb puts it simply:
“It’s never too late. You’re never too old.”
Mary thinks about the child who might hold one of their quilts someday.
Kath shared a quote from Maya Angelou that she felt captured what these women understand so well: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
At Cedarhurst of Tesson Heights, purpose is stitched into every seam. And somewhere—perhaps in a hospital room or a child’s bedroom—warmth is unfolding.
This story originally appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Flourish Magazine.
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Ryan Davis is the Corporate Communications Manager at Cedarhurst Senior Living and the writer behind every story in Flourish® magazine. He holds a Communications degree from Indiana University and brings 19 years of experience to his role, which he began in January 2024. Ryan is passionate about storytelling, especially sharing the meaningful lives of Cedarhurst residents, families, and staff. He hopes each published story becomes a treasured legacy for loved ones.