“Making a quilt for someone is like giving them a hug,” says Sandie Pastuszak, one of 300 members and the Bayberry Quilters of Cape Cod, Massachusetts — a dedicated group of volunteers who have, to date, designed and hand-stitched more than 200 quilts that are then donated to hospitals, shelters, veterans groups and other charities. Recently, Hebrew HealthCare (HHC) became one of the many recipients of a Bayberry-crafted quilt when Marsha Mulready, an HHC registered dietician, learned about the group and made the connection. As a result, Paul Pavano, a resident of Hebrew HealthCare and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, received the gift of a beautiful new quilt handcrafted by Pastuszak herself. A former resident of Connecticut, Pastuszak says she is motivated by “the joy we can bring to peoples’ lives who are suffering physical and mental difficulties and who [like Pavano] have given us so much.”

CAP: Paul Pavano (center) enjoys his new quilt as HHC social worker Jacquelyn Mascolo and Joseph Russo, clinical manager, Dining Services, look on.