Janice Hamilton

On October 3, 2021, at age 73, Janice Hamilton sewed her first set of blankets for the people affected by Hurricane Ida.
 
Janice loves sewing. Been doing it forever. For years she’s sewn blankets for homeless people and pillowcases for hospitalized kids.
 
She lives on Bayou Terrebonne in Montegut. Just past Houma. When she and her husband evacuated in front of Hurricane Ida, Janice feared they would return to a total loss. Even though a friend let them know their house survived, the drive back was sickening, the destruction so extensive, so many homes broken apart with their contents scattered so far. She couldn’t imagine having everything she had taken away like that. How could those people even smile again?
 
Janice’s little home on the bayou only lost some siding. When she went upstairs, she found that all her fabric was there, dry and intact. And it was a lot of material. She had bought out the remaining stock of fleece from a large fabric store in Houma when it went out of business. The bolts of fabric seemed to call her to do what she could to help. To provide some comfort. To lift some spirits. She took to social media to offer free blankets for anyone affected by the storm. By the anniversary of Hurricane Ida, she’d given away more than 1,600 blankets.
 
She says it’s not so much about providing warmth, it’s about showing that somebody cares.
 
Peoples Health and the New Orleans Saints are proud to recognize Janice Hamilton as a Peoples Health Champion.