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Eileen Swadner loved to sew. She also loved to help people.

Eileen’s family wanted to honor their mother and her dedication to improving people’s lives. They found the perfect answer after she died: they donated more than 500 pounds of Eileen’s beautiful quilting fabric to Park Nicollet Foundation. The fabric will be distributed to partnering crafting and sewing groups and our volunteers across the community who use their talents to make a variety of comfort items for Park Nicollet and Methodist Hospital patients. Items like masks, walker bags, pillow-cases, lap blankets, comfort pillows, and a variety of other items.

Eileen Swadner helps a young girl learn how to use a sewing machine.

Eileen was a patient at Park Nicollet. "Our mother asked that we find a way to help the community with her fabric so we started searching for volunteer organizations affiliated with places mom received her care." said Eileen's daughter, Laura Krylov. “Volunteering and giving back to the community was an important value to our mom. She was passionate about sewing and collecting fabric and loved to sew things for others.”

Eileen was also passionate about community service. She was a foster mother to more than 100 babies, volunteered at the Red Cross to help families who had lost their homes, and put together care packages for new mothers through the charity Bundles of Love.

“My mother instilled a sense of service in us, to give back and to utilize our talents to help others,” Laura said. “When she died, it was important to us to donate this where it would be used for patients and to help people stay healthy. Mom would have wanted that.”

“We are so grateful to receive this generous in-kind donation, said Chris Van Lith, Park Nicollet Foundation Volunteer Services. “It’s such a nice way for Eileen’s family to honor her while making an important contribution that will help so many people.”

When you donate to our COVID-19 Response and Relief Fund, you’re supporting patients, families and our entire community. You’re also providing much needed safety equipment for care teams at our hospitals and clinics. These teams are working tirelessly to keep us all safe; your gifts are making that possible.

Please select from the foundations listed below to make your gift. Thank you.