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Bonnie Doon seniors discover a blanket solution to NIMBY

Bonnie Doon seniors discover a blanket solution to NIMBY

It took Iris Allen 15 hours of sewing square after square into the blanket, but the effort evaporated when the blanket she made was presented to its new owner.

"Tremendous compassion for her," she said. "I could see how shy and scared she was. It just felt really great."

The blanket was a gift for a young woman living in Iris Court, a supported-living home accommodating 21 people living with serious mental illness, who might otherwise be living on the street.

The young woman struggles with schizophrenia and has been having a tough time lately, said Louise Daviduck, who works at Iris Court.

"She needed to know that people care about her," Daviduck said. "Even people who don't even know her. I know that she really was overwhelmed by the gesture."

It's not only her client, but the entire staff that are overwhelmed by the gesture.

Daviduck says the support from the Bonnie Doon community for the agency and its clients can help with their recovery and something not always found in other neighbourhoods.

"That constant acceptance they are receiving in this residential neighbourhood is new to them and it really helps them in their recovery.

"Giving them that comfort that people you know do care about them and they are part of the community and they do belong here."

The blankets are being sewn by seniors from the South East Edmonton Seniors Association.