Sunset seniors give back to those in need.
For the fourth consecutive year, senior citizens from the Sunset Park Neighborhood Center, 4520 Fourth Avenue, decided to help new mothers in need from the neighborhood by knitting blankets for their newborns. The act of goodwill stems from the center’s crochet class at the center, where the participants knit various baby items.
On Monday, February 22, three seniors visited NYU Lutheran Family Health Centers Women and Children’s Services to distribute the blankets to pregnant women who were patients there.
The women who had spent up to four months to knitting the baby blankets for the new mothers were excited to give back to the community.
“I am happy to know my knitting abilities can help someone in the community, especially a mother in need,” said Blanca Livingston, one of the three seniors who gave blankets away. “I look forward to doing this each year.”
In total, 11 hand-woven blankets were distributed, including five for boys and six for girls.
The mothers who received the blankets were grateful that seniors took time out of their days, to help them during the process of becoming mothers. Many of them posed for photos with their gifts, with the blankets featuring varied colors and designs.
“Gifts like handwoven baby blankets provided by our active older adults might seem insignificant but mean so much to a mom who doesn’t have everything in this world,” said Amy Loewenberg, LCSW, director of Services for Older Adults at NYU Lutheran Family Health Centers. “The more care we can provide to those less fortunate, the more we can help shed light on meeting the needs of our community.”
Derin Martinez, program director of NYU Lutheran Family Health Centers, was also thrilled to see the giving tradition continue. Members of the neighborhood center have been distributing these handmade items since 2013.
“It’s a wonderful gesture on their part to serve their community in a nice way,” said Martinez. “They crochet lots of other items throughout the year, teach each other, and really enjoy what they do. Obviously, anything handmade carries a special value.”