GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Greensboro mother-son duo are doing their part to give back to some of the most vulnerable people in the community.
For the past three years, 88-year-old Martina Armijo has knitted hundreds of booties and hats from inside her home at the Whitestone Senior Living Community in Greensboro.
Her son, Enrique Armijo, takes the clothing items to the Cone Health Women's and Children's Center where the donations are given to babies in the NICU.
"She has all different colors of yarn and every three months we just send over a couple of boxes there. Bring her a couple of empty boxes and she starts right up again, "Enrique Armijo said.
Martina is a former seamstress who has sewn for most of her life. Her son said she picked up crocheting just seven years ago. Despite battling Parkinson's disease for more than 20 years, Martina still finds joy in giving back and creating these works of art for mothers and their babies.
"It's always been a big part of who she is and I'm just really really happy that she's figured out a way to continue to be able to do that," Enrique Armijo said. "It's really all her. If I've learned anything about helping people and doing things for people it's because of what she taught me when I was growing up. So one of my jobs now is to help her. Continue to do that in any way I can."
Martina said it takes about a day or two to make a hat or bootie depending on her schedule of activities at the senior living facility.