Using art to get outside. Modesto resident decorates her sidewalk to spread happiness
Bunny Stevens likes to be social.
The 78-year-old Modesto resident works as a courtesy clerk at Safeway.
“I LOVE my job!” Stevens said. “I was totally retired for about eight years and it just didn’t suit me. So, about 6 years ago, I went to work at Safeway. It is one of the best decisions of my life! I am physically engaged, socially engaged, and I feel that I make a meaningful impact doing something of value.”
But, with the recent coronavirus outbreak, people 65 years and older are a high risk for the illness, according to the CDC, so Stevens has stopped working and remained at home.
While family has dropped off care packages and food, Stevens said she misses the one-on-one contact.
“I am a people kind of person,” Stevens said.
To interact with people while remaining at a social-distance, Stevens turned to one of her hobbies:
Art.
Outside of her home, she has decorated four sidewalk panels with butterflies, flowers, ladybugs, and more.
“Art has just popped into other parts of my life and it’s a way of bringing pleasure to someone else,” Stevens said.
She said people have stopped and left comments regarding the drawings and just seeing a smile on their faces has brought her joy.
Each panel takes between one to two hours, Stevens said, and she has five more panels to go before she is finished.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 9:47 AM.
