Walk into the Vocational Services program room at Oregon State Hospital (OSH) in Junction City and you’ll hear the steady, unexpected hum of sewing machines. Inside, patients like Kelly and Keppa use their creativity to brighten the walls, halls and days throughout the hospital.
In their paid positions through Vocational, Kelly and Keppa turn donated fabrics into display quilts that beautify the campus, along with quilted zippered bags, embellished cards and reusable grocery bags. Although the wages matter, the program offers much more: an opportunity to build skills, confidence, and independence as patients prepare for life after the hospital.
“I enjoy the time to create and have time to myself away from community living,” said Kelly. “I’m also learning different skills that could help me with a future job. I always wanted to be an interior designer and with this, I’m picking out colors and seeing what design works.”
The bags and cards they make are sold to hospital employee with proceeds going into the general fund. The current focus is on making more quilted zippered bags ahead of Mother’s Day.
“It’s nice to hear the staff brag about what we make,” Keppa said. “It helps with your self-esteem to see people like and appreciate something that you’ve made.”
Junction City Treatment Services Supervisor Charlene Turman oversees the production crew and has seen firsthand how the work transforms patients.”
“I’ve seen their skills progress so much. They’re making designs on their own and their confidence has grown. They take pride in their work and seeing staff take an interest in their work is rewarding,” Turman said. She added that her own background as a home economics teacher inspired her to advocate for adding sewing to the program. “I wanted to offer a meaningful way for them to contribute and learn skills that could help them. For me, it’s a de-stressor too, and I hoped it could be that for them.”
It has. Both patients live on the secure residential treatment facility units – no longer needing hospital-level care – and preparing to discharge. Creating are provides a welcome break from 24/7 community living.
“It makes me content,” Keppa said about her sewing work. “I don’t have any time to think about other things. I’m pouring myself into what I’m doing. It’s also nice to be a part of the beautification of the hospital.”
She’s currently working on a quilt for one of the dining halls that she is calling Ode to Breakfast – smiley-faced cereal puffs and pastel-framed fried eggs.
Last fall, they crafted patriotic-themed lap quilts to give to OSH patients who are military veterans for Veterans Day. Soon their work may expand to include clothing alterations, as OHA works to open a clothing store in Junction City, like the one in Salem, offering patients more variety beyond state-issued items.
The impact of their work is visible throughout the hospital – quilts in all sizes hang in dining areas, hallways, and elevator vestibules. Each offers a vivid surprise of color. One quilt near the gym features stitched encouragements like, “You can do brave things, and “Just begin.” “It’s a new day to see new things in a new way.” “Just begin.”
Kelly and Keppa point out mistakes in their stitching – flaws no one else would notice. But they’ve also gained perspective from transforming scraps into something meaningful.
“Mistakes make quilts more valuable,” Keppa said before returning to her squares of smiling cereal.
Ways to get involved:
The production crew uses donations of cotton, quilting fabric. OSH Volunteer Services coordinates all donations which are screened for safety compliance before being routed to programs. To learn more or donate, contact Volunteer Services at oshvolunteer.services@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
You can also subscribe to the Recovery Times, a quarterly publication that shares stories about the people and programs of OSH in support of their vision of hope, safety, and recovery for all.
