Through the years, the artistic efforts of quilting have provided many people the opportunity to unite and work together on what becomes a tangible symbol of love, creativity, and resiliency.

That's certainly the case with the first-ever quilt created by the Amblebrook quilting group, made up of residents of the new 55+ residential community in Gettysburg. Their inaugural effort will now be proudly shared with patients and caregivers at the WellSpan Adams Cancer Center, where it is on display.

Led by Amblebrook resident Sheri Stein, the group created a quilt made of specially selected Civil War style fabrics that reflect the rich history of the Gettysburg area.

"The design was created to allow people with multiple skill levels and physical abilities to participate in creating the quilt blocks, thus creating an inclusive, welcoming opportunity for all," quilting group member Liz Jordan said.

The connections between the Amblebrook community and WellSpan led to the health system's support of this creative group.

WellSpan is partnering with Amblebrook to provide on-site health and wellness benefits for the community's active adult residents. On-site services will initially provide Amblebrook residents with physical therapy and wellness programs, with plans to eventually offer additional options such as pharmacy services, health screenings, telehealth, and digital services. 

It turned out that many members of the quilting group had their own personal ties to WellSpan services outside of this new residential community effort.

Stein is a breast cancer survivor who continues to receive follow-up care at the WellSpan Adams Cancer Center. The final quilting was completed by an 83-year-old WellSpan patient who is also a 50-year ovarian cancer survivor. Other members of the group have benefited from care received at other WellSpan sites in Gettysburg.

The group approached WellSpan leaders with an opportunity to support the future of the quilting club while also paying tribute to WellSpan care teams, current patients, and caregivers.

"Through WellSpan's purchase of the quilt, the group hopes to provide tools to enable all members of the Amblebrook community to learn new skills, share new ideas, and make it easier for all who are interested to experience the art, the joy and the amazing fellowship of quilting," said Jordan.

"We hope that the quilt honors and encourages people of all levels of health and fitness to engage, create, and grow in fellowship and joy, and to live our best lives each moment of each day," she said.