May has been declared Pajama Month at Tel Hai.
This is the first time that the Honey Brook Retirement Community has partnered with Hearts & Hugs of Hope, a local organization that was formed about two and a half years ago as a nonprofit organization of nurses and nurse’s aides from Tel Hai to help adult cancer patients.
The Hearts & Hugs of Hope group includes Jan Creitz, Ethel Brinson, Jenn Schlimme, Ashlee Glauner, Becky and Joe Conger, and Andy and Emily Etman.
“Partnering means so much to all of our group that work here at Tel Hai,” said Hearts & Hugs of Hope President Janet Creitz.
“I can’t put into words how grateful and appreciative we are for their support, our hearts are touched and I know it will be a win-win for everybody,” Creitz added.
Tel Hai has set up drop boxes throughout their retirement community campus and has designated a driver to collect and store the pj’s for Hearts & Hugs of Hope.
Residents and staff can drop off women’s two-piece pajamas (preferred) and men’s pajama bottoms from May 1 to May 31 in the designated containers.
Vice President of Human Resources Keelie Looper and Director of Wellness Chastity Brown have been instrumental in helping Tel Hai get on board with the group for this May event.
Hearts & Hugs of Hope distributes pajamas and their Cancer Comfort Bags to local cancer patients in need and to the Lancaster General Health Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute.
“I recently received a call from them that they needed more pajamas and took them 15 new pairs that we were able to purchase through our fund raising and donations in the Tri County Area community,” Creitz said.
She explained that when patients are in treatment they are cold and their skin is dry. Each bag contains warm pajamas, a cozy blanket, lip balm, hypo-allergenic oils and lotions for the skin along with hard candies, toasty fuzzy socks, etc.
Since May is National Nurses Month they also plan to challenge some of their nursing friends on Facebook to get pajama donations for them.
Linda Jacobs, a Tel Hai employee, said, “I recently attended an event that Hearts & Hugs of Hope held with over 250 guests attending. They raised over $4,000.”
Their mission statement says it all: Providers of spiritual, emotional, and physical support to cancer patients and survivors. For more information and questions about Hearts & Hugs of Hope visit http://www.facebook.com/HeartsHugsHope or email: HeartsHugsHope@gmail.com.
