Sewing Guild, American Legion Create Stockings For Troops
Sewing Guild, American Legion Create Stockings For Troops
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Sewing Guild, American Legion Create Stockings For TroopsWarsaw American Sewing Guild and American Legion Post 49, Warsaw, are teaming up to make sure soldiers overseas are not forgotten this Christmas.
Sewing guild members spent Saturday afternoon at Lowery's Sewing Center sewing stockings using Christmas fabric that will be filled with items and sent to troops overseas.
American Legion Post 49 is requesting the public's support in collecting items to fill the stockings.Gayle Dickey, American Legion Post 49 treasurer, said the legion has a collection box set up at the legion at 301 N. Buffalo St., to collect items for troops until Nov. 9.
Items needed are food and snack items such as gum, Lifesavers mints, beef jerky, Pop Tarts, power bars, and cereal bars. Travel-size hygiene items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste also are needed.
Legion members will fill the stockings the sewing guild members sew with the donated items, and will pay to have them shipped in time for Christmas.
Molly Barth, North Webster, and her mother Joan Wright, Bristol, sat side by side Saturday afternoon sewing stockings with approximately 10 other sewing guild members at Lowery's Sewing Center.
Barth's nephew and Wright's grandson, Private First Class William Knapp Jr., Bristol, has been serving for the past three years in the Army in Iraq.
"I have talked to my nephew and he said some of the troops don't receive anything in the mail and it is a boost when they do," Barth said.
Barbara Ridley, sewing guild neighborhood leader, said Warsaw's sewing guild was started in April. There are 10-15 women who regularly attend the meetings. The group is always looking for new members.
Ridley's niece, Barbara Williams, is in the Army in Korea, and her daughter, Amie Ridley, served in the Marine Corp. from 2001-2009 as an ammunition technician and in food service.
Barbara said she knows how much her niece and daughter appreciated receiving care packages she sent them.
"Troops sometimes do not receive mail or packages and sending them a stocking with items is a way for them to know they are not forgotten," Ridley said.
She said she is glad the guild can use its sewing skills to reach out to the troops. The goal is for the guild to sew 100 stockings, and as of Saturday the guild had made 70 stockings.
The guild is a national organization made up of 130 chapters with more than 1,000 neighborhood groups. Its mission is to advance sewing as an art and life skill.
There also are guild chapters in Albion, Fort Wayne, and South Bend.
The Warsaw guild meets the third Saturday of each month from 1-3 p.m. at Lowery's Sewing Center, 707 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw.
Membership for the guild is $40 for the first year, and $35 for the years after.
The guild is allowed to use the room at Lowery's Sewing Center for free.
Britt Harman, Lowery's Sewing Center owner, said he is glad the business can help out the guild.
"The American Sewing Guild promotes sewing and we sell sewing machines and fabric and since the space was vacant we are happy to have the guild use it," Harman said.
People who want to donate items for the stockings and can't drop them off at the legion should call the legion at 574-267-5549.
To find out more about the sewing guild call Barbara Ridley at 574-267-3855.
