Angel wings soaring at Heritage River

ELORA – Hand-crafted angel wing key chain ornaments have been flying off the shelves at Heritage River Retirement Residence, with proceeds going to the Centre Wellington Food Bank.

Karen Townsend, creator of the ornaments, delivered a cheque for $800 to the food bank last week.

Townsend is a beader who makes jewelry. She also battled cancer recently and became close with another woman in the same shoes.

But her friend Jana Skladan didn’t fare as well.

Before she died, she invited Townsend to take whatever crafting supplies she wanted. Among the items were some little wings.

Townsend saw them, added her own “jewels” and crafted them into angels with a hook to attach to a zipper or key chain.

She took them to Heritage River and set them out for purchase by donation.

“I tried to find a good spot for these angels,” said Townsend in a phone interview.

“I thought it would be a perfect little gift for residents. And they just went crazy for them.”

Townsend used all the wings her friend had gifted her and ordered more.

“And still they kept selling,” Townsend remarked.

There are a few left – maybe 60, she said.

She’ll leave them at Heritage River until they sell out or until Christmas, whichever comes first.

And the money will go to the food bank as well, she noted.

“I’m just so pleased people like them,” she said.

“Jana hoped they would find a meaningful purpose. I think they have.”