Amy Jackson can see the floor of the front room of her Seymour home again.
On Saturday, Christmas gift bags for the 155 residents and 175 staff members at Lutheran Community Home in Seymour were moved from her home to the assisted living facility.
They were placed in her vehicle and the vehicles of Pam Bowman and her daughter, Aubrie Bowman, and then unloaded and placed in the facility’s chapel.
The items inside the bags were donated by more than 100 people in the community who supported The Sunflower Studio’s inaugural Mammy and Pappy project.
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Each resident bag contains a fun item, personal care items, a comfort item, pudding, cookies, a candy cane and a card.
The staff member bags have a few goodies along with a bunch of candy, candy canes and a card.
Jackson, who started The Sunflower Studio earlier this year to provide food for local kids, said she initially wanted to include a couple of fun and comfort items in the bags.
The response from people in the community, however, resulted in more being included.
"The response has been overwhelming," Jackson said.
She chose to help nursing homes because several programs are offered for kids around Christmastime, so she wanted to help a different population.
With the COVID-19 pandemic preventing people from visiting nursing homes and knowing residents and staff have dealt with positive cases, Jackson was more motivated to help them.
"We went last Christmas to Covered Bridge (Health Campus in Seymour) and we just handed out candy canes and cards, and they lit up," she said of her family giving the items to residents and staff.
"We had so much fun last year, and I figured, ‘Well, this sure beats candy canes and cards," she said of the Mammy and Pappy program. "It has been a lot of fun putting it together, a lot, a lot, a lot of fun. A lot of really cool games have been given. A lot of really cool books have been given. All sorts of fun stuff."
Around the second week of October, Jackson posted her idea on The Sunflower Studio’s Facebook page. She asked her followers to choose the first nursing home to help, and they picked Lutheran Community Home.
"Most of my volunteers have family over there, so I was like, ‘Well, that’s a good way of saying you know what? You guys have really helped out all year. I know I can’t get you in there for a hug, but hey, this is something I can do,’" Jackson said.
She posted the names of local businesses and organizations serving as drop-off locations, and some even offered prizes for those who donated.
She also posted information on the Smalltown Strong Facebook page.
"It took me about three days to go through everybody’s messages and be like, ‘OK, this is how we’re doing it, this is what I’m asking for,’" Jackson said.
Recently, Jackson had to go into quarantine for two weeks, so she posted about the program again. People continued to donate.
"Every day, just boxes of stuff" arrived at her home, Jackson said. "It was everywhere."
Gift bags filled with the requested items were dropped off, too.
"I didn’t do all of this stuff and put it in the bags. Volunteers did," Jackson said. "It’s not a job if you enjoy it. It has been the community, so I feel like I’m the face, but this has not been all me. By any means, this has not, and it has been fantastic."
The gift bags were placed in the chapel at Lutheran Community Home so they can be sanitized and quarantined for a few weeks, and then staff members can hand them out whenever they choose to celebrate Christmas with residents.
The project is a good way to show the residents and staff members they are not alone and forgotten, Jackson said.
"I feel like the staff is going to enjoy it a little more than the residents just because they have to physically see the struggle every day and they get to play Santa," Jackson said. "I’m telling you what, they are thrilled, excited. I knew they would be excited, but they are way more excited than I even thought."
It meant a lot to the Bowmans to help with the project.
Pam’s grandmother is a resident at Lutheran Community Home, and she hasn’t been able to go in and see her since the pandemic began in March.
"I have not been able to hug or kiss my grandma in eight months, and it’s so hard," she said. "I can visit through the window, and we visit through the window, but it’s not the same."
Stepping into the chapel Saturday was emotional for Pam and her daughter.
"Even stepping in that building made me feel so much closer to her," Pam said. "It has been a long eight months, and these residents don’t understand, and I feel so bad for them."
Aubrie has been a certified nursing assistant at Covered Bridge for two years, and she said the pandemic has made it a difficult year there.
The facility has had positive cases, resulting in some staff working more hours due to employees having to quarantine at home. She said it has been hard to find people who want to work there during the pandemic, too.
Now that the cases have subsided and the National Guard is assisting at Covered Bridge, Aubrie said hours are being cut.
"It has been crazy because with COVID, especially if (residents) have it or if your nursing home has it, you can’t really treat them the way you used to because when you go to care for them, you have to get in and get out just so you’re not putting yourself at risk or them at risk," she said.
No hugs. No sitting down to talk for a while. No one-on-one time.
"So for the workers, it has been very sad and tiring," Aubrie said. "For (the residents), they are just very confused, and it makes me sad because they have no idea what’s going on, especially if they (test positive) and they don’t have symptoms."
Covered Bridge is the next nursing home Jackson’s organization is helping, and Aubrie knows residents and staff there and at Lutheran Community Home will appreciate the gifts.
"I just like helping, and it was good because I work in the nursing home, so I know how much it has affected them," she said. "To know they are going to get some form of normal this year since everything has been so crazy, it just makes me happy."
Pam said she admires her daughter so much for what she does. On top of working, Aubrie is going to school.
"She loves her residents like they are her grandparents, and I feel like these employees here (at Lutheran Community Home) are the same way," Pam said.
"They love my mammaw, love her to pieces, and I feel like giving to them is just as important as giving to the residents because these CNAs bust their butts to take care of these people," she said. "They do a tremendous job."
Maddox said he liked helping carrying bags into the chapel and knowing he was making the residents and staff happy this Christmas. Plus, he got to see his great-grandmother via a window visit.
"I just want a picture of Mammaw Betty for Christmas," Maddox said.
Jackson said gift bags are needed for 55 residents and 100 staff members at Covered Bridge, and she hopes to keep the momentum going and help the other nursing homes in the county, too.
Given how successful the first round of the Mammy and Pappy project was, Jackson is confident the community will pull through.
"I don’t want to use the word proud because I feel like you should never use the word proud when you’re helping others. I feel like this is just something that people should be doing," she said.
She feels the word accomplished is more appropriate.
"Every project we’ve started, we’ve done 10 times that," Jackson said. "I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I’m a little overwhelmed,’ and here we are not even Thanksgiving, and I’m giving out two, three, four more (nursing homes)."
She hopes this project sets the tone for her organization moving forward as she pursues 501(c)(3) status at the start of 2021.
"If we can do this this fast, if I’ve grown this much just since May, where are we going to be three, four years from now?" she said. "It’s incredible. Absolutely incredible."
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The Sunflower Studio’s inaugural Mammy and Pappy project is underway.
The Seymour-based nonprofit organization recently provided Christmas gift bags for the 155 residents and 175 staff members at Lutheran Community Home in Seymour and is now working on providing gifts to the 55 residents and 100 staff members at Covered Bridge Health Campus in Seymour. Then it hopes to help the other nursing homes in Jackson County.
The top requests for gifts are decorational items for residents’ rooms and anything else to brighten their day, including books, puzzle books and blankets. Candles are not allowed.
Anyone interested in sponsoring a "grandparent" or anyone who works at a business that would like to help raise funds and gifts should reach out to Jackson via Facebook or join The Sunflower Studio’s Facebook group and send a message there.
Jackson also is working on small goody bags for the staff members.
In addition to the gifts, Jackson also needs Christmas gift bags, tissue paper, candies and candy canes.
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