Woman's Club completes sewing machine drive

Upholding its mission of women-helping-women, the Vernon Township Woman’s Club recently collected 58 sewing machines for “Sewing Peace,” a program that enables women in third-world countries to develop valuable skills for employment.
“We believe in making the world a better place one project at a time, and Sewing Peace was selected as the beneficiary of our latest International Relations Committee activity,” said Woman’s Club President Lois Marples. “Dozens of people donated their unused sewing machines with the end result being that 58 more women around the globe will be able to support their families and create better lives for themselves.”
Sewing Peace is a branch of Pedals for Progress (P4P.org) which distributes the sewing machines to women seeking a tangible livelihood. With the assistance of its international partners, P4P ensures that women possess the skills necessary to become self-sufficient by teaching them how to sew, design and repair clothing. Single mothers in Tanzania receive three months of vocational training and a full-time job, and then earn a percentage of the profits when their handmade clothing and sandals are sold locally or exported to other countries including the United States. Women in Ethiopia become self-employed with a Sewing Peace sewing machine after 21 days of intensive training.
“Whenever we put out a call for donations, our wonderful community comes shining through,” Marples said. “We express sincere appreciation to everyone who supports our mission by participating in these projects.” The club experienced the same public support in 2017 during its bra collection for “Free the Girls,” a nonprofit that aids women in developing countries who were rescued from sex trafficking.
More than 1,500 bras were donated, shattering the club’s original goal of 500.