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Paying It Forward In Pillows At Friendship Village

"I believe in paying it forward. When you receive, you give," said Rina Coolman, a resident of Friendship Village. Last month, Rina and her helpers delivered 255 handmade pillows to the residents of Briarwood Healthcare at Friendship Village.

Last year, a friend of Rina's showed her a sample pillow, saying it would be a wonderful item to make.

"The pillow just sat there for about a month, and then I got a huge donation of fleece. I knew right away that this was what we were going to make," Rina said. She and a small crew worked for weeks creating the pillows.

"They were such a nice and thoughtful gift for the residents in Briarwood to receive," said Donna Brown, lifestyles activities manager at Friendship Village. "And it's just like Rina to think of something like this to do for others."

There's a little bit of good luck involved with Rina's good will. "I'm very lucky with donations. I said 'I wish I had a good pair of scissors. We have a container full of scissors but none are very sharp.' I told Donna and then the next day I got four pairs of scissors from someone who just happened to be giving them away," Rina said. She's received the same type of windfall on other occasions as well.

"She gives so much it's only right that she receives so much," Donna observed.

Rina, who runs Friendship Village's arts and crafts program, is also very active with Project Linus, a program which makes blankets for sick children. "Friendship Village's Project Linus group has made more than 3200 since 2006," said Donna. Recently, Rina and a group of volunteers made 150 pillows for veterans at Hines VA Hospital.

On the side, Rina will do alterations for residents of Friendship Village. "Not everyone here can go out and get their pants shortened if they need to," she said. Rina charges a small fee for the work, which she then donates to the arts and crafts department. Enough funds have accrued to contribute $2000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors who either work at Friendship Village, or have a parent working there,

Rina, who has lived at Friendship Village for almost three years, said that she is very happy and busy at the community. "I love it at Friendship Village. When I came here, I knew right away that I would," she said.

Friendship Village is a leading Chicago retirement community offering a complete continuum of care including independent living garden homes and apartment homes, as well as assisted living, memory support, skilled care, and short- and long-term rehabilitation services. For more than 35 years, Friendship Village has been providing Chicago area seniors with exceptional retirement living options. For additional information visit www.FriendshipVillage.org

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