![]() ![]() As reported in a news story on NBC 10 WJAR in December, the family is in its fourth generation of wrapping! All of Kimel’s family – men included – have participated in it as well. Ruth Kimel and Sarah Cokin helped run the project for years. Part of the rent was forgiven in return for an ad in the chapter’s ad book. A sign was also created, informing the customers that the wrappers were members of Hadassah and all volunteers, and that all proceeds would go to support cancer research.Īs the project grew, the need for storage grew, so the chapter rented a storage facility. ![]() To help ease the strain of standing and wrapping for hours, Jack Cokin constructed risers, which are still in use. Sarah Cokin was a master at getting area manufacturers to donate wrapping paper, boxes and tissue paper. If you couldn’t wrap, you could cashier or help keep the workplace clean. To be a gift-wrapper, volunteers had to pass Marks’ high standards. Many meetings were held at the home of Trudie Marks. Bow-making was done much of the year and became a social event for the women. The women had work sessions at various homes, where they would set up assembly lines to make and trim the bows. All the bows were decorated with a garland and trim that was purchased on sale and then taken apart to refashion. The ribbon was bought wholesale at a supply house in Fall River. They also created a round bow for use on smaller packages. ![]() They took apart a bow from Filene’s, and Jack Cokin, Sarah’s husband, used it to design a flat bow that was perfect for packages. Sarah Cokin and Ruth Kimel – Abe Gershman’s sister – saw bigger potential in the project. The following year, they were stationed at the other end of the mall, in front of Peerless, where they stayed for a few years, until they moved to the current location, near JCPenney.Ībe Gershman was a professional department-store visual merchandiser, and taught the gift-wrappers how to make basic florist bows to put on the packages, as well as helping with the actual wrapping. They were given a spot in front of Jordan Marsh for 10 days before Christmas. Pawtucket Chapter member Sarah Cokin contacted Lloyd Bliss, an owner of the Warwick Mall, to ask about getting a spot where the chapter could try to raise money doing wrapping. She thought it was something that Pawtucket should try. Shaffer had been to a mall in Massachusetts where a local Hadassah chapter had made $200 by wrapping gifts. The history of the gift-wrapping initiative began with Ruth Shaffer in the mid-1970s, when she was the president of the Pawtucket Chapter. Over the years, the gift-wrapping fundraisers have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for medical research and treatments in the two world-class Hadassah medical centers in Israel. The Gift Wrapping Golden Jubilee Potluck will take place on June 11. Hadassah Rhode Island invites its members and friends to celebrate Hadassah’s decades of volunteer work at the Warwick Mall during the holiday season. ![]()
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