dark times. Teresa Provo is an 89-year-old grandmother and she fits the bill completely. She took up a cause during the pandemic to help her family and friends and in the end provided over 600 masks to the people she cared about. Read on to find out more about this fantastic woman.
Grandma Terry, as she likes to be called, is a simple woman. She currently lives in a nursing home and has many friends and her family visit often. She spends her days playing computer games, watching television, or sewing. Considering she is 89 years of age she still has an incredibly active mind and likes to keep occupied.
When the pandemic struck, her family was not allowed to visit her anymore as nursing homes were one of the key areas identified as danger zones. In any nursing homes where there were cases of coronavirus it spread through the home quickly and had a high mortality rate. It was clear why people needed to stay away.
Grandma Terry was concerned for her friends and family so she decided to do something. She decided that she would make masks for everyone in her family. By the way, grandma Terry has a big family of over 50 people. If you remember back to the start of the pandemic masks were in extremely short supply and it was incredibly difficult to get your hands on one. Grandma Terry stepping in to help was not just a kind gesture from an old lady, it provided material that could very well have saved lives. Grandma Terry bought the required material and started sewing. She sowed masks with the favorite sports teams of all her family members where appropriate and personalized each mask with a note encouraging each person to wear their mask to be safe.
After she finished she realized that many people in the nursing home didn’t even have masks. She and another woman decided to take on this mammoth task and they worked together to provide masks for everyone in the home. In the end, they made over 600 masks. When Grandma Terry was asked how she was able to put with this enduring task day after day, her answer was adorably simple. She listened to the Beatles.
Grandma Terry says that she quite enjoyed the days of sewing and listening to the Beatles. While that may be true we know that the reason Grandma Terry took up the sewing task was not one of boredom. She did it because she wanted to do something good for the people that she cared for. There is a clear message in this.
The pandemic was a time when everyone struggled yet some struggled more than others. Did you spend that time hoarding the things you have or did you help out those who needed it most? If you did provide help, now that the pandemic is ending is your work done? The truth is that many people still need help and we must be available for a long time yet to help out our neighbors. While this pandemic was not a good thing if it brings communities together it will be amazing to have gotten some positive results out of this terrible time.
If you are one of the people that answered no to the help question, then it is never too late. Try and find a way to help people this week. The difference between a community and a group of strangers is that in a community everyone is there for one another and is willing to help when they need it. Turn your neighborhood into a community today.