Students Help Deliver Peace of Mind to Local Senior Community

Recently, more than 200 cloth masks were distributed to residents at Moldaw Residences senior living community in Palo Alto. The gift was from Mask of Hope, a collection of students and parents from various local schools who hand-make masks and donate them to organizations and communities that need them most.

“Some cloth, elastic and creative hands have really put a smile on our residents’ faces,” said Beth Roth, a retired nurse and resident at Moldaw who, along with several other residents, distributed the masks to her friends and neighbors.

Roth’s daughter-in-law, a geriatrician at Stanford, first told her about Mask of Hope. Three sets of residents at Moldaw also have grandchildren at nearby Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School, which just happens to have several students and parents involved with the initiative.

Like communities throughout California, Moldaw has been under strict precautionary protocols for weeks, such as a restriction on visitors, daily screening of all staff and essential personnel, social distancing, cancellation of group or social activities, and meal deliveries to residences.

Even though Moldaw is currently free of COVID-19, Roth said the gift has increased awareness, with all residents now wearing masks when outside their apartments. Most importantly, it has reinforced a spirit of community.

“You can still see the smiles above the masks, and that really says it all,” she added.