A homemade quilt on display in Monroe Community Hospital’s Garden Lobby features more than 300 messages from residents, families and staff celebrating Disability Pride Month and the many unique voices of the MCH community.

The project was part of July’s Disability Pride Month activities and was organized by MCH’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Resident Programs and Lead Clinical Instructor Shawna Rizzi, who brought 306 individual panels together to create the quilt.

Many of the panels celebrate unity, love, friendship and support, with messages of kindness, positivity and encouragement. Together, they highlight how people from diverse backgrounds can come together to support and uplift one another.

“I thought a quilt would be a nice way to document positive messages and have something that all staff, residents, families and visitors could view,” Rizzi said. “Many of the messages were about love, positivity, not feeling alone and being kind.”