Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby Seniors Help Stock Macomb Foster Closet

Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby residents provided hand-knitted winter hats to Macomb Foster Closet, an all-volunteer nonprofit 501c3 organization that provides clothing and other essentials free to children in foster care.

By NICOLE TUTTLE |
PUBLISHED: December 23, 2021 at 1:07 p.m. | UPDATED: December 23, 2021 at 1:09 p.m.

One closet was filled with over 100 winter hats this holiday season, courtesy of the senior citizens at Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby: Macomb Foster Closet.

Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby is located at 4200 West Utica Road in Shelby Township. Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby Activities Director Jamie Jarvis said the villas provides independent senior citizen living including transportation, meals and activities for its over 100 residents.  One activity offered in the community is the Heirloom Craft group, which created stockings last year, and this year made a Christmas tree skirt for the villas’ lobby Christmas tree as well as painting a ceramic Nativity scene.

“We worked on that all year, then we focused our attention more to giving during the holidays,” Jarvis said.

This year about 10 residents of the group knitted and crocheted hats for Macomb Foster Closet. Jarvis said that there were six women in particular who contributed the greatest number of hats: Kathy Anderson, Millie Merritt, Mary Lou Sabin, Catherine Hannon, Judith Henzler and Rosemarie Risdon. Residents in their 80s and 90s were heavily involved in the project, and they have been expanding it by teaching knit and crochet skills to others at Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby, Jarvis confirmed.

“The size of the hats ranges from baby to teenager. We will be donating over 100 hats, additional donations and half of the 50/50 monies collected to Macomb Foster Closet,” Jarvis said on Dec. 13.

The idea to focus on knitting and crocheting hats originated with a generous donation of yarn several months ago.

“A resident’s daughter helped us with getting yarn donations,” Jarvis said.

Macomb Foster Closet was selected as an appropriate location to benefit from the crafters’ work this year, as Jarvis said the focus was on local charities that benefit children.

“These ladies have really done well, making these hats incredible,” Jarvis said. “We will find more to continue to keep making things. This was a hit and it is amazing how well they have done.”

Macomb Foster Closet is an all-volunteer nonprofit 501c3 organization that provides clothing and other essentials free to children in foster care. It provides additional services throughout the year also, such as backpacks and school supplies as well as gifts for birthdays, Easter and the Christmas stockings and toys campaign. Macomb Foster Closet is located at 196 North Rose Street in Mount Clemens.

The residents were expected to take a bus Wednesday to drop off the donated items and tour the Mount Clemens facility, just in time for Christmas.

Original article: https://www.macombdaily.com/2021/12/23/shelby-twp-seniors-help-stock-foster-closet/