Tess from Pennsylvania created a comforting blanket out of old shirts to help a family find comfort in their daughter’s passing.
Tess was s substitute teacher who was unable to work due to school closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the inaugural class of our Unemployment Transition Program Tess chose to do her capstone project for a family friend who lost their daughter. She used old t-shirts of their daughters to handcraft a quilt for the family.
Lessons Learned
Q. How do you feel this project affected the family or individual you helped?
This project was helpful for the family that I helped. The family was grateful for the blanket being made from the shirts of their beloved daughter. The t-shirts were all things that their loved and shirts the daughter worn. Some of the shirts still had the smell of their daugh
Q. How did the project help you?
The project helped me to understand how a simple gesture of a blanket can still make the family feel close to their daughter. It also allowed for me to understand or have a sense of empathy that the family has. It made me feel good that I was able to bring comfort to the family.
Q. What advice would you give to other people who are comforting a bereaved family/individual?
While you may feel funny about asking the family for pictures or shirts or clothes, sometimes the family needs to have peace. The final product may help the family. By asking the family for permission to use their daughter’s shirts for the project, they found comfort in knowing that the blanket is something that they can wrap around them and still feel the warmth of their daughter.
Tess graduated from our October 2020 Cohort with distinction.
If you or someone you know is unemployed due to Covid-19, see if our Unemployment Transition Program is right for you. Additionally, if you have lost a loved one to COVID-19 and would like to be a recipient of one of our participant’s capstone project, please look at our Bereavement Support Page to sign up.