Cushioning recovery with pillows for Kamloops post-op patients

CFJC crews went to one of the group’s sewing events today (Feb. 6) to see what goes into this labour of love. When the Telus Community Ambassador Team has a project on the go, the once quiet office floor becomes a beehive of activity.

“Probably finish about 20 or 30 (pillows) each session, and we meet twice a month so it adds up to quite a number of pillows,” says social coordinator Butch Dixon.

The team regularly meets to stitch and stuff heart-shaped pillows to give to post operative patients throughout B.C. Meant to provide extra cushioning, and cheer people up during their recovery.

“We get the shells from the Pacific Open Heart Association and then we make them and stuff them and send them to St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver,” explains Dixon, “which serves our local people as well so it still is within the local community.”

According to Dixon, the Telus Community Ambassadors in Kamloops are made up of around three dozen current and retired Telus employees, volunteering out of building space provided by the company in downtown Kamloops.

“Some of the girls have been doing it as long as 30 years,” she says. “I’ve been involved for about 22 years now, since I retired, and most of these girls as well it’s been about 22 years, when the phone mart closed that we all started up with sewing pillows for the community.”

Judy, another member of the dedicated volunteer group, says the pillow project is near and dear to their hearts.

“Years ago, I used to see some of the ladies who were doing it — this is when we were BC Tel Pioneers — and they were doing different things and somehow I got involved,” she laughs, when asked how she got her start with the team.

The pillows are just one part of the group’s overall volunteering. They also repurpose and donate hundreds of greeting and holiday cards to seven different seniors homes in Kamloops. And during warmer months, they run a used book sale out of the lower floor of the Telus building on St. Paul Street to raise money for the Kamloops Food Bank’s Starfish Backpack Program and the Kamloops Hospice Society.

“Hospice is a huge one for us. We usually give them at least $3,000 per year. We do their gardens, one of our volunteers does their lawn maintenance and has for probably 15 years,” adds Dixon. “We help out a lot at the BC Wildlife Park and we also do baby bags for the Head Start program.”

Hearing from people they’ve helped or hearing of someone who appreciated that hand-sewn pillow after surgery keeps the group motivated.

“Not everybody has a lot of family to care for them,” notes Dixon. “It just makes them feel that they have friends out there to make them feel better.”

And, of course, there’s the added social draw of getting together with like-minded individuals to do some good.

by Dylana Kneeshaw

Cushioning recovery with pillows for Kamloops post-op patients

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