Parkesburg church offers sewing ministry

"We have plenty to do and (always need more) hands to do it," said Sheila Hershey Williamson when inviting community members to take part in Sew Much Love meetings, held monthly at Parkesburg Mennonite Church. The goal of the sewing ministry is to make handmade items for people in need, including prayer shawls, blankets, pillowcases for hospitalized children and dresses for girls in Africa.

All are welcome to attend the gatherings, which are held on the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. in the church's fellowship hall. Sewers of all experience levels are welcome, as well as those with no experience.

"We have non-sewing projects for people who want to help, but sewing is not their thing," said Williamson. "This work would be fleece blankets, and the big push now is knotted comforters. If you can tie a knot, you can do a comforter."

The knotted comforters are distributed by the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a Christian relief organization. "These comforters are sent all over the world and the United States," said Williamson, noting that 46,000 comforters were shipped out from MCC last year, 22,000 of which went to Ukraine. "They also distribute food, medical equipment (and other items) to wherever they are needed."

The Sew Much Love group started by making pillowcases for patients at Penn State Healthy Center Children's Hospital in Hershey, which it continues to do. It also teaches people how to sew. "When we first started, Patty (Nafziger), Jane (Rudewick) and I were just doing pillowcase (for hospitalized children) at a shop in Ephrata, and it expanded from there," said Williamson. "Then we encouraged others to dust off their sewing machines and learn how to use them. It's amazing how many people bought sewing machines and didn't know how to sew, so they were put in a closet and forgotten. So we taught them."

In addition to helping members learn to sew, the group also participates in Little Dresses for Africa, a Christian ministry that provides dresses to girls in need at orphanages, churches and schools in Africa.

Group members use donated material and purchase fabric themselves. Sewing machines are also available at the church during the gatherings.

"What we can't use we will give to a ReUzit store for resale, and that money goes back into the work of Mennonite Central Committee," Williamson noted.

Group members emphasized that Sew Much Love is not limited to members of the church. "I look forward to coming because it's a community of women and it doesn't matter if you are Mennonite or not. It's a wonderful thing to experience," said Judy Lobasso. "I have been coming five or six years now, and I just love it."

Parkesburg Mennonite Church is located at 44 E. Second Ave., Parkesburg. Anyone interested in taking part in the group may attend the next scheduled meeting on Saturday, May 13. For more information, contact the church office at 610-857-3761.