Creative expression and educational betterment are two tasks that peer Laurie Slaton has taken on with gusto at Perry Wellness Center. Whether undertaking one-on-one mentoring to improve her reading skills or creating dazzling yarn crafts, Laurie is never content to sit idly.

Many of our readers have learned about Laurie’s crafting skills. She has developed a particular gift with yarn work, including work on a loom. Out of her enjoyment of these crafts, she has developed a skill in potholder construction. Laurie has made dozens of colorful potholders for personal gifts, and she also sells them at Rudy’s Happy Patch Market. The walls of the center display may of her yarn weavings for public enjoyment. Other samples of Laurie’s craftwork will be headed to fall and spring festivals in surrounding counties.

Laurie’s hands are never still. When not working on her crafts or brushing up on her reading skills, she enjoys the quiet pace of putting together jigsaw puzzles during breaks at the center. Laurie discovered puzzles about four years ago, and usually has one underway.

"Laurie has always been a quiet achiever at Perry Wellness Center,” says PWC founder and CEO Stuart Perry. “She sits quietly and does worthwhile projects that demonstrate her talent for color and construction. I am proud of her ongoing recovery.”

In the above photo, Laurie Slaton enjoys completing her largest jigsaw puzzle to date.