On Saturday, Heather Hane had a simple goal.

As Hane led a foot and leg exfoliation class for two women, she told them that self-care didn’t have to be a drawn-out process.

In fact, she said, it could be as simple as “centering” themselves with verbal affirmations for five minutes a day.

“Stress is going to happen. Center yourself. Take care of yourself. Love yourself. Forgive yourself,” Hane said.

“You can’t give what you don’t have, so fill yourself up.”

Hane’s demonstration was just one leisure activity that took place during the Caregivers Day of Pampering — an afternoon of free spa treatments and art classes for women with disabled family members.

Connie Quinn, Linda Tomko and Carren Bynon brought the event to the area after Tomko attended a similar retreat in Lancaster. The pampering day Tomko attended was hosted by Joni and Friends, a ministry organization geared toward disabled people and their families.

“I said, ‘we have to have that in our area. We have nothing like that,’” Tomko said.

“That was long ago,” Bynon added. “This has been on our bucket list for years and years and years.”

Then, Tomko’s 30-year-old son, Stephen, who had hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, passed away. At the same time, Quinn had recently lost her job.

“I really thought we needed to do something to keep her (Tomko’s) mind going and get her a little more occupied,” Quinn remembered.

The three decided it was high time they organize the first Caregivers Day of Pampering in Carbon County.

That was four years ago. Caregivers Day of Pampering has since become an annual event, bringing women from different parts of the commonwealth into Salem Bible Fellowship Church in Lehighton. This year, around 30 caretakers were treated to free manicures, massages, makeovers, art lessons and more.

“All the services that we’re giving today are done by professionals who volunteered their afternoons,” Quinn said. “They took their afternoons off from doing haircuts, manicures, massages, to volunteer for this.”

When they weren’t having a treatment done or learning a new craft, the women were able to connect with each other and bond over similar experiences and stressors.

“Many times you feel isolated, but you really aren’t when you have people here responding and helping,” Tomko said. “You realize then that you’re not alone. People do care.”

“It was very relaxing just to be so accepted,” New Ringgold resident Jane Shellhamer, whose 13-year-old son has Down syndrome, said as she was getting her nails painted a powder pink.

Maria Weber, of New Jersey, attended her first day of pampering last year. Weber said at first, the experience was “surreal,” because she wasn’t used to focusing on herself. This time around, Weber invited her aunt, whose husband has multiple sclerosis, to accompany her.

“I just asked her if she was having a nice time, and she said, ‘I haven’t been this relaxed in ages.’ I started to cry, ’cause I’m just so happy for her,” Weber said.

“It’s just wonderful to have so many people who care about us that they volunteer their time,” she said.

The day kicked off with a worship service in the church, a light breakfast and the women sharing their testimonies. In addition to the regular beauty treatments, this year’s gathering also included painting, rock decorating and jewelry-making lessons. Bynon and Tomko said that while the event is hosted at Salem Bible Fellowship, other area churches show their support through donations.

Between their support, the help of the volunteers and the hard work of the event’s organizers, Quinn said, caregivers were able to put their feet up and be cared for — even if it was just for one afternoon.

“I know the importance of treating myself to time away,” Quinn said. “Moms don’t do that. Moms do not take advantage of time for themselves, and if moms are down, the whole family’s going to be down.”