Janet Meddings turned 95 in January and is enjoying retirement after an active life.
She now spends much of her time at the Rocky Ridge Retirement Community socializing while wielding a crochet hook with a basket full of colourful yarn at her side, all in a quest to help others.
Meddings crochets blankets and then sells them, donating the money to places like Inn From the Cold or the Mustard Seed.
“I know when I moved into this place six years ago, I had done 648 (blankets),” she said.
“But I do about two or three a month and then if we can sell them, it’s wonderful because most charities would really rather have money than blankets.”
Kimberly Smith, marketing manager at Rocky Ridge, says Meddings always has a blanket on the go.
“Last year alone, she donated to Inn From the Cold (and) it was over $1,600, and she sells them for $30 per blanket, so that’s a lot of blankets,” Smith said.
“She loves to sit by the fireplace in the morning or in the bistro; she’ll carry on an in-depth conversation with you while she’s doing it, not even looking at what she’s doing.
“(It’s) pretty cool.”
Meddings grew up in England and spent time in Australia before settling in Canada.
She’s passionate about helping less fortunate people and spent a career as a social worker.
“I did child welfare in England, but that was a long time ago, and I worked in a jail in Fort Saskatchewan,” she said.
“I’ve worked a lot with addictions, and I worked as director of family and community support services, which meant I could start any program I liked, so I’ve always loved working, but when I got to be 90, I thought, ‘I really am too old.’”
Smith says Meddings has an infectious personality and loves to listen to other residents and share some of her stories with them.
“I think she’s just such an inspiration; she gives the best advice,” Smith said.
“She’s lived all over the world; she has all of these life experiences and she’s always working hard to give back. All the residents love her; they have nothing but the best things to say about her.”
Meddings says people have taken her blankets all over the world.
She knows some are in Japan, Germany, Mexico and the U.S.
She hasn’t set a goal for this year’s blanket count but will just keep knitting and crocheting as long as she has yarn.
She has a simple outlook on life that has gotten her this far:
“I like people to be happy, and if you can help them a little bit on that way, that’s a good feeling,” she said.
“Don’t worry about things you can’t control; just enjoy and make life happy.”
Meddings is always in need of yarn and donations can be made by contacting the Rocky Ridge Retirement Community at https://www.rockyridgeretirement.com/contact-us/.
