Mission outreach leaders at First United Methodist Church are leading a project to make more than a thousand 12-inch square pillows for soldiers in Iraq by November.
Co-chairperson of mission outreach, Vickie Witthaus along with Jackie Kelly, were inspired to suggest the local project after watching a television programme featuring New Jersey school children who were making pillows for soldiers.
Witthhaus said, “They interviewed one of the soldiers who received one of the pillows, and he made this comment, ‘It means somebody back home cares.’ I wanted to cry when I heard that.”
Witthaus was extra keen to make the pillows after she found out that most often soldier don’t have any pillows to lie on. “They sleep on rolled up clothes.”
In total 1,000 pillows were made by the children in New Jersey, “so we want to do two more, and make 1,002 plus.”
The pillows, however, can only be 12 inches in order to fit into a (soldier’s) backpack.”
She is hoping that local school groups or clubs might consider taking on this project and send on their pillows to the church so they can be shipped overseas.
“A lot of people want to do something but don’t know what to do,” Witthaus said. “This project will be an easy way to help.”
Kelly agreed, “it is a worthwhile project, and we are pretty excited about it.”
A special ’sewing bee’ to make and stuff the pillows is scheduled on Tuesday, October 6th, at the church. The pillow fabric is being ordered from Hickory Stick Quily and Gift Shop, and people making pillows may also buy their own fabric.
One school class is already helping by stuffing the pillows as well as ‘thank you’ notes for the soldiers.
The church’s project will be continued on Make a Difference Day, Saturday October 24th where Witthaus hopes people will mark their calendars to come and help.
“We will have an assembly line of sewing and making the pillows and putting crosses on them” she said.”The crosses will be on one side, leaving one side smooth to be slept on.”
One Response to “‘Pillows for Soldiers’ project launched”
Hello! I think that that is such a wonderful and beautiful idea! My Women’s Studies Club Group and other friends and peers at my High School really would love to take part and to such things ourselves, so I was just wondering if there was any information you could give me in doing so…seeming as how I’m quite far away. Thank you so much, and keep on making those pillows!
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