It was her weekend off, but Jen Ingle – Lowe’s store manager in Hannibal, Missouri – was hard at work.

She was on the floor of her living room, piecing together a project that came via special request. 

It all started in October when Jen Ryan Galantowicz reached out to Lowe’s district manager Christina O’Trimble on LinkedIn. Galantowicz works for Reach LTC, which owns 17 nursing homes in Missouri, and she needed help with an idea. She sketched her vision of a structure that would allow for in-person visits at the care facilities – something that hasn’t been possible for eight months due to COVID-19.

O’Trimble wanted to help provide residents a desperately needed opportunity to connect with family, so she brought the sketch to Ingle.

“And Jen took it and ran with it from there,” O’Trimble said.

This project was very close to Ingle’s heart. Her aunt had just battled COVID-19 and was in intensive care for several weeks.

“It was challenging, to say the least,” she said.

Ingle also previously worked in healthcare, so she knew how best to prioritize safety and functionality for a structure like this. 

Ingle met with Galantowicz for an hour to hash out some details. Then she got started. 

“We wanted to bring that ‘home’ feel to it,” Ingle said. “I drew up my own sketch and bounced off some ideas. We didn’t want the person to feel like they were sitting in a box. 

“I knew how important safety and space would be for this kind of structure. So I wanted to develop something they could put away when they’re not using it and have it be quick and simple when they bring it out.”

After a weekend of work, Ingle presented a finished product to Galantowicz.

“She said, ‘What do you think?’” Galantowicz said. “I about cried because it was beautiful. She just really knocked it out of the park.”

Ingle produced a wood-framed “visitation station” that stood seven and a half feet tall. The structure is on wheels and it folds up to allow for easy movement and storage. And to make it feel homey and festive for the holiday season, Ingle incorporated some special touches.

“We thought it would be really cool to make one side of the panel a faux fireplace, so they can hang stockings and put a garland on it,” Ingle explained. “And we applied some stained glass so it didn’t feel closed off.”

Ingle’s creation then became the blueprint for a wider Lowe’s Heroes Project. Her design, material list and instructions were shared with other Lowe’s locations so a station could be recreated for each of the 17 Reach LTC facilities – and then some. A prototype – complete with materials list and instructions – has been displayed at the store so customers can recreate it on their own. 

“Three districts and 32 stores were involved to supply materials and help build. Each store donated rocking chairs and some Christmas garb to go with it,” Ingle said. “I can’t explain the amount of feels it has brought to be able to be a part of this. Definitely a humbling experience, an enriching experience.”

The most heartwarming moment came when the visitation stations, which were delivered in November, were put to use. 

On December 9, Ballwin Ridge in Ballwin, Missouri, hosted its first visit at the station. Michelle Gianelle came to spend time with her sister Mignon, who she hadn’t seen in nine months due to pandemic restrictions.

They talked. They laughed. They put their hands together on the plexiglass that divided them.

It was a beautiful moment. It’s what Ingle and Galantowicz envisioned, just in time for Christmas.

“It couldn’t bring more warmth to my heart,” said Ingle, who was at Ballwin Ridge for that first visit.

It was her ingenuity and passion that made the moment possible. Little did she know that weekend in her living room would result in the best Christmas gift imaginable for countless Missouri families.

“She took my awful sketch,” Galantowicz said, “and made a holiday dream come true.”