Mack has been delivering lemon drops and homemade therapeutic corn bags to patients at the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute® – New Ulm for the past year. People use these cotton bags containing field corn or soybeans for either hot or cold comfort while they receive care. New patients undergoing chemotherapy receive a bag to take home after their first appointment.

People going through chemotherapy often get cold, and these bags “help keep them warm and more comfortable,” Mack said. In 2017 she started selling the bags at local events, using the proceeds to buy lemon drops for patients and families.

Mack has been making corn bags for several years. At first, she bought material at rummage sales and corn at a local co-op. Suppliers have started generously donating supplies for her bags, including corn from Federal Hybrids in New Ulm and soybeans from Bryan and Mindy Berkner in Sleepy Eye. Mack also gets a discount on material and extra fabric-cutting help from The Thimble Box, a New Ulm fabric store.

Mack has exceeded her $1,200 fundraising goal every year, keeping patients warm with corn bags and Virginia Piper Cancer Institute – New Ulm fully stocked with lemon drops. “I most definitely plan to keep this up each and every year,” said Mack. Her ongoing support encourages patients to think about how they will give back in gratitude for the care they receive at Virginia Piper Cancer Institute – New Ulm.

Beyond the comfort of lemon drops and corn bags, a smile is Mack’s biggest gift to New Ulm Medical Center patients, families and staff. She said, “I love to spend time doing things for others, and if a warm corn bag can bring a smile to someone’s face, that is worth a million bucks! It’s kind of like paying it forward, so someone can smile when a smile is most needed – even if it comes from a total stranger.”

To learn more about volunteering at New Ulm Medical Center, visit allinahealth.org/numc-volunteer.

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