Crafting community among the sewing ladies of Southampton Estates.
On Tuesday mornings, the sewing room at Southampton Estates, a premier Acts Retirement-Life Community, is a flurry of lively activity. Nearly two dozen residents chatter merrily at long work tables in the bright, warm space as they busily measure, cut, and stitch fabric. Adjacent to many workstations are piles of soft, animal-shaped pillows, mostly fish and bunny rabbits made out of cheery, pastel calicos.
“We make these for the children at the hospitals,” says Dale Ludwig, a Southampton Estates resident, as she shows off a newly completed pillow. “My specialty is the fish.”
The sewing ladies of Southampton are modest about their achievements, but over time they’ve donated more than 5000 handmade stuffed animals to a number of hospitals in the area, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. All of the money for materials comes from residents and private donations throughout the community.
Dale credits much of the program’s success to Barbara Solly, another resident, whose enthusiasm for sewing and teaching others about her craft led to a significant uptick in the activity’s popularity. The donated pillows for hospitalized children felt like a natural outgrowth that added a sense of purpose and shared mission to an already lively group of veteran and novice craftswomen.
The happiness of the sewing room is reflected all across the scenic 75-acre campus. There, residents celebrate retirement with wonderful new friends and a host of excellent amenities. A maintenance-free lifestyle gives them all the time they need to explore the best of life, whether on-campus activities, nearby shopping and dining, travel, family, and, in the case of the sewing ladies, giving their time to brighten the day of a child.
Best of all, Southampton Estates offers Acts Life Care®, which guarantees future care in today’s dollars if needs ever change. Dale, Barbara, and all of the sewing ladies know their needs are covered so they can stitch together a meaningful retirement without the worry.
In the meantime, there is work to be done and friends to be made.
“The girls here are wonderful,” says Dale of her compatriots. “This is such a great way to get to know people. It’s easy to open up and make a new friend when you’re busy and happy and working together.”
For more information about how you can create something special at Southampton Estates or any of our other beautiful Pennsylvania communities, please call (877) 548-0112 or visit AboutActs.com/ SouthamptonLiving