(Contributed by Barbara Maciejewski Wnuk)

With a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) nationally and in Connecticut, four Klingberg Family Centers employees, Annette Lyon, Debra Crivello, Marci Marciniec, and Laura Centurelli, have taken to stitching. They shine as a glimmer of hope during the COVID-19 crisis.

Unsurprisingly, the first of these glimmers of hope is also very crafty throughout the year. Annette Lyon, our payroll specialist, is well practiced in making Red Sox pillow cases and candle holders. Annette was motivated mainly because of her daughter who is an RN in Ohio working on a COVID Unit. The quilting message board she is a part of saw a need. A Labor and Delivery unit, local South Windsor Fire Department, Hartford Police Department, Hartford ED and so many more are pleading for help. Annette took to her sewing machine; she has made 140+ masks so far using cotton batik from her fabric stash and the pattern on the Deaconess Hospital website.

Debra Crivello, a part-time Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in our Outpatient Clinic, has also been sewing. She was able to spend some time making masks with her quilting group (via the internet). A friend dropped them off to their local volunteer fire department. Deb is also trying to make time to make masks for the families and children we serve.

Our Director of Electronic Health Records/Director of Nexus, Marci Marciniec, along with her daughter Abby, have also taken to stitching masks for friends who work in the medical field. And Laura Centurelli, director of the Webster House, made some masks for her program. She said, “I don’t know how to use a sewing machine and ours broke while my husband tried to help me. So I sewed these crudely by hand but I’m pretty happy with them and so is [one of our kids]!”

All of these women bring their talents and generosity to this dire situation, helping people come together while staying safely apart. These women, like so many, are bringing us through stitch by stitch.