A handcrafted commemorative quilt will be “proudly displayed” at Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s main office in Barrie.
Health unit officials say the quilt was donated by COVID-19 vaccination clinic volunteer Jody Mayhew “to recognize the efforts of the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the community vaccination clinics a success.”
“I was really moved by my experience as a clinic volunteer and I felt compelled to design a quilt to commemorate the memory,” says Mayhew. “It was wonderful to be a part of a positive, unified team, working towards a common goal of helping the community.”
Mayhew says the “vibrant colours” were chosen to evoke the positive and optimistic feelings she and other volunteers felt while working at the clinics. Also included in the quilt are the signatures of some of the other volunteers.
“This beautiful, handcrafted quilt symbolizes the cooperative spirit of the health unit staff, volunteers and our community partners who worked tirelessly to provide well over 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to our residents,” says Mary Ann Holmes, Acting Assistant Vice President of Immunization. “It will proudly be displayed at our health unit offices, and we thank Jody for creating and gifting it to us. I would also like to express our gratitude to all of the 671 clinic volunteers for their dedication, commitment, and positive contributions to our vaccination efforts.”
Mayhew says she hopes the quilt will become a “lasting symbol of strength shown by the Simcoe Muskoka community” during the pandemic. She adds that she also hopes it serves as a reminder about the importance of volunteering.