SILVER SPRING, MD – Ask anyone who knows about Riderwood’s hospice volunteers and Hospice Knitters and they will tell you the same thing – they are a special group of people who provide a touch of home and sense of comfort to anyone they serve. For them, the greatest satisfaction is in the giving of themselves and their carefully crafted shawls.
In the spring of 2006, Edie Range and Martha Vayhinger traveled to Rockville, Md., to participate in training to become hospice volunteers. Their intention was to use this training as a means to work with hospice patients at Riderwood. Recognizing where Range and Vayhinger lived as a special place, Montgomery Hospice staff proposed bringing the hospice training for volunteers to Riderwood. In a short period, this proposal became a reality, leading to 16 residents completing the comprehensive two and a half-day hospice volunteer training program. Now, these volunteers continuously provide hospice services at Riderwood with compassion, dignity, dedication, and collaboration.
Based on the service of Riderwood hospice volunteers, in December 2006, Montgomery Hospice approached Range and Vayhinger with a new concept. The idea was to see if they would be interested in melding hospice services and comfort support, by creating a knitting group that would craft shawls, laden with love and support, for local hospice patients and their caregivers. At the time, many groups throughout the country were becoming part of the inspiring movement to create handmade shawls for those needing special care and comfort. With their help, Montgomery Hospice met with a small group of volunteers at Riderwood, and by January 2007, Riderwood’s Hospice Knitters were officially formed. Initial funds and supplies of yarn, patterns and needles were provided by Montgomery Hospice and Riderwood Village Church. According to Range, “It was the right time to start a group to meet the needs of Riderwood residents.”
At the knitters group’s initial meeting, Virginia Nitkiewicz, shared how she develop a deep appreciation for the meaning that knitted shawls can have in a person’s life. She treasures an afghan sent to her several years ago by a former high school friend’s aunt she visited who had cancer. The afghan was designed with densely knitted stitches that showcase her friend’s farming background and the capable work of her hands. “This creation was an expression of love and care, and I wrap myself in its warmth to feel its unspoken message of love,” Nitkiewicz said.
The knitters meet at 9 a.m., every Friday for one-hour in the Montgomery Station Clubhouse. They start each session with calm music, a dedication, and prayer for people with special needs. After knitting in a reflective spirit, the group concludes with a blessing of the work accomplished. Holding those they serve in love is a unifying focus that each member of this group shares. Each week, members of this group remain committed to serving those in need by spending time knitting at home.
While Riderwood’s Hospice Knitters are imbued with a strong spiritual component, they are structured as a non-denominational group. In addition, the knitters have extended the scope of their gift giving beyond the patient to include the caregiver, family, and others.
In just the past 18 months, 80 one-of-a-kind washable shawls have been carefully crafted and provided to hospice patients, their caregivers, residents of Casey House – an in-patient facility of Montgomery Hospice – and others, as a gesture of comfort and support. With each shawl a card is provided that reads, “This comfort shawl is a gift of love for you with the hope that it will bring you pleasure every time you wrap it around your arms.” Hospice Knitter Mitze Brown said, “The card that accompanies each shawl is nice because the recipient feels warmth and love when they receive it along with the gift.”
With each shawl taking at least 16 hours to craft, Riderwood’s knitters have worked more than 1,250 hours creating knitting designs to embrace, inspire, and celebrate life. According to one knitter, “Knitting a comfort shawl is how I can give something tangible to a very special stranger. It is a privilege to be able to contribute to anyone’s comfort.”
The Hospice Knitters learn about people who would benefit from having a shawl or other knitted items from a variety of sources including caregivers, family members and friends. In certain situations, knitted items are also provided to non-hospice patients or people involved with other hospice service programs. One woman who received a shawl from the knitters said, “The shawl is a glorious color and I was really thrilled. When I wear it I will be reminded of the wonderful work you are doing. I send my love and prayers to each of you.”
The Hospice Knitters have become a community supported effort in many ways. Residents, friends, neighbors, and others have given large quantities of unused material to the knitters. The knitters participate in Riderwood’s 2007 Annual Arts and Craft Show where residents and staff purchase knitted items. A portion of the proceeds from the event are provided to Riderwood’s Benevolent Care Fund and Montgomery Hospice. The remaining sales profits are used to purchase new yarn for the knitters. Lastly, some residents outside the knitters group have taken the time to knit shawls for donation to the knitters group. “Based on my own family experiences, providing knitted shawls to the knitters group has great meaning for me,” said Ann Dyer, a Riderwood resident who teaches Prince George’s Community College classes on campus. “I’ve given the group three shawls and feel knitting is something I can fit into my busy schedule.”
Claudia Farr, senior community services manager, believes the Hospice Knitters are a one-of-a- kind group. “This group is more than just about the knitting,” said Farr. “There is a strong spiritual element that connects the knitters to their work, and what they do makes a positive difference.”
“The dedicated knitters at Riderwood are an excellent example of how the contributions of volunteers can take many creative forms. To know that there is a way for these community members to support hospice patients and families through their knitting is wonderful. The shawls that go out to people are a wonderful expression of love that reminds the patients that someone is thinking about them,” said Jon Radulovic, vice president, National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization.
The knitters have a profound inner spirit and respect for the specialized needs, comfort and healing of the patients and families they help. They understand the complex challenges that patients and their families face, and are willing to give their time and talents to provide ongoing support and reassurance.
In recognition of Erickson Retirement Communities 25th anniversary, a Riderwood resident mentioned his sentiments on volunteering in the words of William Wordsworth, the great English poet: “That the best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” It’s this gift of the heart that has united the hospice knitters from the start, and continues to brighten their lives as they serve others with one thoughtful gift at a time.
About Riderwood: More than 2,800 people live at Riderwood, an Erickson full-service retirement community that promotes a vibrant lifestyle. Erickson Retirement Communities is one of the leading national developers of full-service retirement communities. Headquartered near Baltimore, Md., Erickson has built an innovative network of 21 communities that combine a maintenance-free active lifestyle with an ever-expanding host of amenities, social activities, and wellness and medical centers, proven to improve both physical and mental health. Erickson was named by FORTUNE as being one of the Top 100 “2008 Best Companies to Work For®.”
For more information about this story, please contact Public Relations Manager Daniel R. Dunne at 301-572-8319.
###
