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Jul 10, 2023

St. Peter's tradition continues with sewing socks of comfort

Julie Stoner sews a stocking with her 1952 Singer featherlight sewing machine on Monday at St. Peter's Health during the annual "Arlene Mathews Sock Sew." Stoner has been volunteering at the event for

Julie Stoner sews a stocking with her 1952 Singer featherlight sewing machine on Monday at St. Peter's Health during the annual "Arlene Mathews Sock Sew." Stoner has been volunteering at the event for 14 years.

St. Peter’s Hospital Association “Arlene Mathews Sock Sew” volunteers on Monday celebrated 69 years of making handmade stockings for those staying at the hospital and babies born in the month of December at the Regional Medical Center.

The tradition was started by Matthews, a former St. Peter’s obstetrics nurse and longtime volunteer, who was the association’s leader. The effort began in her basement in 1953. She died in 2020, but volunteers have ensured the tradition continues.

The handmade stockings are for those staying at the hospital and babies born in the month of December at the regional medical center.

Nearly 30 volunteers and their family members gathered 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to sew and decorate stockings. They made about 110 stockings for patients hospitalized over the holidays at St. Peter’s, and then 50 stockings for babies born at St. Peter’s in December.

“This simple gesture shows people who are hospitalized over the holidays that someone cares and is thinking about them, especially when they can’t be with their families or loved ones,” said Nan Cervenka, who has been at the helm of the sock sew coordination for five years. “Our hope is that one of these stockings brings a smile to their face.”

For Helena resident Tina Wooley, that smile returns year after year as she hangs two stockings over her fireplace, one for each of her children born in December at St. Peter’s over 20 years ago.

Rose McGee sews a stocking on Monday at St. Peter's Health during the annual "Arlene Mathews Sock Sew." McGee has been volunteering at the event for over 10 years.

“I remember going into labor on Nov. 30 and telling myself ‘You can’t have this baby until Dec. 1 so we can get a stocking,’” said Wooley.

She said in a news release her daughter was born at 12:46 a.m. Dec. 1, 1999, and her son was born on Dec. 16, 2000.

The St. Peter’s Hospital Association is a volunteer organization formed in 1921 to support St. Peter’s Health in providing health care services. Since its inception, the association has raised more than $1 million.

For more information, go online to sphealth.org

The tradition was started by Matthews, a former St. Peter’s obstetrics nurse and longtime volunteer, who was the association leader. The effort began in her basement in 1953. She died in 2020, but volunteers have ensured the tradition continues.

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The new system also replaces the Patient Portal used by St. Peter’s patients with a new feature called "MyChart."