TEMPE, AZ — Cooped up during the pandemic, some Valley seniors are finding peace of mind by taking to the woodshop.
A group of seniors gather throughout the week at Friendship Village Tempe to create works of art or repair other residents' furniture.
"I look forward to this everyday," said Dave Rushlo, a Korean War Veteran.
Rushlo told ABC15 woodworking has helped him navigate the pandemic.
"This takes your mind off what's going on in the world," he said. "All the bad news and all that kind of stuff. You've got to either concentrate on what you're doing or you're going to cut a finger off."
Rushlo told ABC15 woodworking is just as much about the comradery as the craftsmanship.
"You have to have pretty thick skin to work in this shop," said friend, Douglas Hobson.
Hobson said he also finds the woodshop is a nice reprieve during the pandemic.
"When you're confined to quarters as much as we are now, this is one place that you can go to get away from being confined to quarters," Hobson said.