Friday is craft day at Richmond Terrace. From plants to paint, blankets to tutus, Richmond Terrace residents can do it all – and help others while doing it!
“We have some super crafters at Richmond Terrace!” said Anne Stumpf, Manager of Lifestyle Enrichment at Richmond Terrace, a Lutheran Senior Services Assisted Living Community.
Because so many residents are service-hearted, they use their craft work projects to do good works in the larger community. Recently, the Richmond Terrace Ladies Group spent several sessions making tie blankets for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital.
They also created child-sized tutus that are being donated to children at a local women’s shelter, a daycare, and the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. Never content to stop helping, the ladies are gathering fleece fabric and spools of tulle to keep creating. As the cost of fleece is increasing, they are seeking donations of fleece fabric to support their mission.
Other craft items are made for their regular craft sales. Yarn pumpkins, spice blends, lip balms, and more were created and sold at the recent fall sale. The crafters took the sale very seriously and spent hours creating their wares. “Once we settled on a date for the fall craft fair, our residents got busy making various items. Every time I ran into them, they were all collaborating in one of their rooms or working in one of our community rooms with haste and excitement,” said Anne.
The sale drew a crowd of about 40 non-residents to the community.
“The residents had such a great time and were so successful with this sale they asked to do another! Our Holiday craft sale is scheduled for Saturday November 26, 2022 here at Richmond Terrace,” said Robin Garnett, Administrator of Assisted Living at Richmond Terrace.
Crafting also has health benefits for older adults. While crafting may not often be on a doctor’s list of prescribed medicines, it has certainly been shown to improve the health of older adults. For example, crafting frees creativity and reduces stress, which results in a better immune system and lower blood pressure. Benefits of crafting include:
- Improved cognitive ability
- Pain relief
- Stress reduction
- Strengthened immune system
- Decreased risk of cognitive impairment
- Improved motor skills
- Lower blood pressure
“Crafts provide an opportunity for anybody to express themselves creatively, socialize, and provide a sense of accomplishment,” said Anne. “It’s amazing how one community planned craft can inspire a side hobby for one or a small group of residents. Hobbies help make life fun and enjoyable and spark excitement in us. It’s fun to see our residents enjoying whatever their sparks are,” added Anne.