A partnership for community wellness: Jones Memorial and local seamstresses

WELLSVILLE, NY – In partnership with the wonderful and generous seamstresses who have sewn facemasks and donated them to the hospital, the Jones Memorial Hospital Community Wellness committee is supplying the cashiers and front line staff at two Wellsville grocery stores - Tops Friendly Market and Giant Food Mart – with homemade face masks. Save-a-Lot in Wellsville was also offered masks but their staff already has a supply from a generous donor of their own.

“These workers are an essential workforce with many public contacts each day,” said Eva Benedict, CEO at Jones. “Shoppers who wear masks are taking an extra precaution to protect themselves and the workers at our local grocery stores. I encourage everyone who goes out in public to wear a mask.”

In the below photos, Brenda Mong-Szabo, VP Specialty Services at Jones Memorial Hospital, left, and hospital CEO Eva Benedict, far right, delivered a supply of homemade facemasks for use by the staff at Tops and Giant supermarkets. The masks, which were donated to the hospital by local seamstresses, are part of a community wellness initiative to protect the health of our community.

Accepting the masks are, from left, Pat Gill, dairy and frozen manager; Angie Sliski, scan coordinator; Peggy Lyons, grocery manager; and Amy Harris, bookkeeping lead.

Accepting the masks are, left, Store Manager Phil Williams, Assistant Front End Manager Sherri Salter, and cashier Deena Dunham.

Jones Memorial will also provide the homemade face masks to designated at-risk hospital patients at the time of discharge. Thanks to our generous and caring community, we have adequate supply of these medical grade masks for our staff right now, but we are still accepting donations of homemade masks in the event our supplies run low for employees and to continue to be able to assure the essential workforce in our community has protection as well.