Join our mission-driven team!

Learn more

To Cambridge House, With Love

September 20, 2017 (Hildebran, NC) ─ The Catawba Crafters are warming hearts one homemade blanket at a time. The group recently delivered several dozen homemade wheelchair shawls, lap afghans and palm protectors to Cambridge House, a DePaul Senior Living Community. The residents are just some of the thousands of recipients of the crafting groups’ handiwork over the past five years.

 Catawba Crafters pictured above include co-founder Jo Boone, Carmilla Isenhour, Quilla Mayo, Cecil Riley, Darlene Wooten, Diane Riley, Betty Price, and Carol Mcvean

Members of the Catawba Crafters pictured above include co-founder Jo Boone, Carmilla Isenhour, Quilla Mayo, Cecil Riley, Darlene Wooten, Diane Riley, Betty Price, and Carol Mcvean.

“When we took the donation to Cambridge House, we came out of there feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside because everyone is so appreciative,” said Jo Boone.

Cambridge House residents Nina Lingerfelt and Revonda Bishop enjoy their homemade lap blankets donated by the Catawba Crafters.

Pictured above, Cambridge House residents Nina Lingerfelt and Revonda Bishop enjoy their homemade lap blankets donated by the Catawba Crafters.

In the early 1990s, Jo Boone and her mother Earlene Propst began crocheting hats with reflective tape and blankets and began driving around at night to deliver the homemade items to the homeless and to local homeless shelters. For nearly 30 years, the two made and donated around 300 hats a year.

When Boone’s mother passed away, she and a friend Deedee Griffis formed the Catawba Crafters to continue helping those in need. The group meets twice a week and have crocheted and donated over 5,000 items since its inception.

Cambridge House Activities Director Cheri Hahn said the residents loved receiving handmade lap blankets, wheelchair shawls, and palm protectors, which are helpful for individuals experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

According to Boone, the palm protectors are made out of cotton yarn to absorb sweat and are stuffed with batting. A strap allows the palm protector to be strapped onto the hand to prevent individuals whose hands are protracting from digging their nails into their palms. They are easy to wash in the sink and dry. The shawls and lap blankets are also specially designed to not get caught in the wheels of a wheelchair or walker.

As much as the recipients enjoy receiving the Catawba Crafter’s homemade items, Jo Boone said she gets immensely more joy from giving!

“I’m selfish,” she said. “I enjoy the feeling we get from doing this, so I do it for me.”

For more information or to donate supplies to the Catawba Crafters, visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/316663435117225/.  For more information about Cambridge House, please contact Administrator Amber Minton at (828) 325-4980, at aminton@depaul.org or visit us on Facebook.