 SEMC Guild member Helen Harrington with a finished pillow for a cardiac patient. |
UTICA, N.Y. -- The St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC) Guild requests donations of cotton fabric from community members who support the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) cardiac services. The Guild includes a group of women called the “Pillow Ladies,” that meets monthly to sew heart pillows for the patients in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit who have had open heart surgery. Due to an increase in cardiac surgery with the newly expanded MVHS program, they need more cotton fabric for pillows.
The SEMC Guild is a volunteer organization with a long history of assisting the hospital in various projects, including essential sewing. The original Guild began in 1890 when the hospital was located on Columbia Street. Members of the early Guild volunteered two hours monthly making towels, sheets and pillow cases, which were sewn by hand at the time.
The present Guild was organized by Sister M. Veronica in 1926. Over the years, the Guild has undertaken many fund-raising projects and activities to benefit the patients, families and SEMC employees. Anyone with fabric to donate may call Chairperson Margaret Lalonde at 315-853-5280.
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Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Medical Center are affiliates under the Mohawk Valley Health System.
Sandra Fentiman
Manager, Marketing / Community Outreach
Mohawk Valley Health System
(315) 624-5216
sfentiman@mvhealthsystem.org