Caring for Caregivers

It’s amazing to watch God at work. The way He can match a need to those with the ability to meet that need, is humbling and inspiring.  

Two weeks ago, the Synod Scene shared the story of a beautiful gesture made by a member of St. John the Evangelist Church in Edmonton who is gifted at sewing (she prefers to be identified simply as ‘a grateful parishioner’). This talented person crafted a homemade face mask for each of the clergy at St. John’s.  

I was one of the lucky recipients. I was deeply touched, but also struck by the fact that the very day before, the topic of masks had come up in a separate conversation. I had been speaking to someone at an agency called Comfort Keepers, one of several in the city that provide care services for seniors in their homes and also in care facilities. Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer had just made it mandatory for all caregivers to wear face masks, and the agency was having a hard time finding any. The masks did not need to be proper medical masks, but finding any masks at all was proving a challenge.  

I don't sew, which put me in the slightly awkward position of not being able to meet the need myself, but knowing someone who could. I didn’t want to put our ‘grateful parishioner’ in an awkward position either, but felt the question had to be asked.  

The response was amazing, though not surprising. In spite of a dwindling supply of materials, our determined seamstress banded together with her network of sewers to make a plan. They figured out a pattern that used more common materials and appealed for donations. Then they ordered more supplies of a non-woven interfacing fabric to create the filtering effect. A week later I had the pleasure and privilege of dropping off 16 colourful masks at the agency’s office.  

The agency asked about cost, of course. But the sewers’ reply was, “There’s no financial cost. They are ‘paying’ daily with their service. Helping them stay safe is sufficient payment."  

This great story of God and His people doesn't there, however. Having risen to one challenge, the sewers are now on a roll. A follow-up email asked, “Do you know how many Comfort Keepers there are? The lining material is on its way and I’d like to set a goal with my sewing friends: a minimum of two masks per caregiver.”  

Well, there are 20 grateful caregivers with this agency. By the following week, the St. John’s sewers had another 27 masks ready for them to use as they in turn continue to serve some of our most vulnerable citizens.    

Submitted by the Rev. Deacon Shelly King