When 2019 Rogers Scholar Bella Butler realized how COVID-19 was impacting the elderly population in Laurel County, she knew she had to do something.
Butler, a student at Cornerstone Christian, decided to make cloth face masks to help protect the staff and residents of Laurel Heights Nursing Home.
“I wanted to do everything I could to protect this vulnerable group in my community,” she said. “Growing up with close emotional ties to my grandparents, I’ve always had a heart for the elderly.”
Butler coordinated the Rogers Scholars community service project with Laurel Heights Nursing Home and donated the face masks earlier this summer to the delight of the staff.
“The masks she made herself were distributed to the staff at Laurel Heights to wear while at work,” said administrator Kathey Young. “The ancillary staff are able to wear cloth masks instead of medical grade masks as required by the nursing staff. They were very happy to have new masks.”
Each graduate of The Center for Rural Development’s Rogers Scholars program is required to complete a community service project. For more information about Rogers Scholars, visit www.centeryouthprograms.com.