Crafting for a cause

February 21, 2008 at 10:36 pm (creative, daily mumbles)

Ok, you ladies who like to sew…want to put those needles and thread to work for some guys (and girls…and kids…) who could really use some cheering up?

http://www.sewmuchcomfort.org/ <– Featured on NPR tonight. It’s a sewing circle of national proportions, dedicated to making adaptive clothing for injured soldiers and Iraqi children. It was founded by a lady whose son’s childhood cancer left him wearing bulky leg braces. He couldn’t wear regular pants, so she taught herself to sew to make his clothes. After a visit to Walter Reed, he suggested that she should do the same for the soldiers they saw there.

In addition to clothing (adapted with velcro for easy on-off by people with limited range of motion), Sew Much Comfort also makes back supports, pillows, and other articles of…well…comfort.

Or rather, the regular people across the country who participate in this network make these things. Sew Much Comfort isn’t a corporation or even a real business. It’s a distribution center in Ohio that handles the shipping, and a bunch of people of all levels of expertise who choose this way of making lonely, hurting men and women happy.

There’s been some talk lately of various sewing projects, so when I heard about this organization, it seemed like something we might be interested in. In addition to the usual options of monetary or new clothing donations, SMC also offers the chance for hands-on involvement.

I think it sounds very rewarding. The fact that it’s a tradition dating back centuries appeals to me, but it’s more than that. “Support the troops” gets tossed around so much it’s lost much of its meaning (especially when it’s code for “Support the Bush”), but this is supporting the troops in a truly meaningful way.

What do you guys think? 🙂