SURPRISE, AZ — A group of west Valley seniors is combining creativity and compassion to make a big difference in the lives of families trying to make ends meet.
“We start rolling from the ugly end, and from the top of the diaper down,” said resident Judy Goolsby.
Goolsby and nearly a dozen others from the senior living community are using their golden years to make new parents' first years a little easier.
“Just such a great way to give back to the community, we’ve had a good life,” said Sandy Petersen.
They're now passing it on by creating cakes, diaper cakes that is.
“We’ve evolved, we’re a little more fancy than we have been,” said Betty Stone.
What began as a simple layered cake of rolled diapers is now transformed into elaborately themed masterpieces.
Active Living Director Becky Rahn hatched the idea, partnering with a nonprofit called Choices, a group that provides a plethora of resources for new parents.
“They help them with supplies they’re gonna need as well as they do educational classes, helping them to stay healthy during their pregnancy,” said Rahn.
When she brought the idea to her residents about making and donating the diaper cakes, let's just say it didn’t take much convincing.
“My reaction was, 'oh my gosh aren’t they cute,'” said Joanne Doran.
“We’d go to Walmart and Target and different stores, we go in to buy something for ourselves and come out with a bag full of things like this,” said Goolsby holding up a baby toy she plans to attach to the cake.
They’ve now donated more than thirty cakes to Choices whose parents purchase them with baby bucks earned by attending free educational classes.
“We all had to learn how to take care of a baby and sometimes it’s not the easiest thing in the world,” said Goolsby. “We could all use a little help and it feels great to be in a position to do it.”
It’s clear with every detail that goes into these creations, the parents receiving can rest easier knowing they’re not facing this life-changing undertaking alone.
