STANWOOD — If you are feeling down, just walk into the small gift shop at Josephine Sunset Home.
One of the four volunteers keeping the shop open six days a week will put a smile on your face. But that’s not all they do. Over a period of three or four years, the Josephine Auxiliary raised $33,000 and donated the money to buy 24 adjustable electric beds for the residents of the assisted living community.
“This is a huge contribution,” said Becky Bunke, community outreach coordinator.
Josephine is a nonprofit organization offering nursing care and assisted-living apartments. It also runs a preschool and offers child care.
Josephine is trying to buy 160 new adjustable electric beds for the facility, and the auxiliary’s donation got the organization closer to its goal.
A colorful array of teddy bears, greeting cards and other cheerful souvenirs decorate the small gift shop. Some of the things for sale are handmade by the auxiliary members. Two armchairs are available for visitors to rest in.
Residents often come in for a visit or just a hug, volunteer Joan Arthur said.
Arthur, 78, started working in the gift ship about two and a half years ago. Her husband lived at Josephine then, and she wanted to be nearby. She was happy to see the beds purchased with the gift shop’s funds, being someone who truly understood their value.
She was at the shop on a recent, slow Monday afternoon with Gloria Watanabe. Both women live at the Stanwood Senior Center.
Muriel Neely, 78, of Mount Vernon, stopped by. She is the auxiliary’s president. Her mother, who is turning 100 in May, lives at the home.
“Josephine is dear to my heart and has been for years,” she said.
Watanabe, 67, began volunteering at the gift shop after retiring from her job as a thrift store manager.
“I needed to be busy,” she said. “I work best with older people because it is them I care most about.”
People who call Josephine home are thankful for the gift shop and its volunteers. Not too long ago, a resident got a blanket for Arthur’s dog and returned to ask whether the dog liked it.
If someone living at Josephine really wants something but can’t afford it, the gift shop ladies will usually work something out. They also started bringing old magazines for visitors to borrow.
“It’s amazing what a tiny little gift shop can do,” Neely said.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452; kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
Come help
The gift shop could use more volunteers. If you are interested, call 360-629-2126. Josephine Sunset Home is at 9901 272nd Place, Stanwood.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
