Mittens, witches, and squirrels are some of the items Meals on Wheels recipients may have received along with their lunches over the years! The members of the Arts & Crafts group at Trailside have been hard at work for the last 15+ years constructing at least 300 holiday/seasonal magnets every month for individuals that receive home delivered meals from Senior Services.

In the past, the group has also made cards and bookmarks, often times tracing by hand and cutting out pictures from sheets of foam. While the crafters may have come and gone over the years, the group has remained a constant every Tuesday morning. At one point, there were 12 volunteers around the tables helping out. Since Trailside has reopened post-pandemic, there has been a consistent 5 member group in the Arts & Crafts room each week: Sharon Edwards, Sue Klich, Dorothy Kociba, Marlene Merillat, and Mary Myers. They work like an assembly line, with one cutting out background foam pieces, another member gluing down shapes/pictures, another adding glittering gems or ribbon, one attaching the magnet to the back, and another individually bagging each completed magnet. The group pays careful attention to detail with each and every magnet coming out perfectly. They won’t send them out if they don’t look beautiful.

The members have donated many of the items themselves that are needed to put together this wonderful gift of love: glue, plastic gems, magnetic tape, and Zip Loc bags. Lots of laughter and chatting can be heard all the way down the hall as the group truly has become friends and enjoys each other’s company. As one member of the crafting group stated, “We do this to let the seniors know we care about them while they are eating their lunch. We have loved doing this for the seniors in our community.”

While they have enjoyed their weekly sessions, the members all have other things that are taking their time and they have decided not to continue this project next year. We would like to sincerely thank Sharon, Sue, Dorothy, Marlene, Mary and the other volunteers who have helped with this project over the years for their dedication and efforts.

Here at Senior Services we are always looking for volunteers for a variety of activities. Please contact Allison at (989) 633-3741 for more information and opportunities to get involved!