CES seamstresses sew to make a difference

Published Oct. 13, 2011
By Maj. Kelly Howard
434 ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Alice Vail and Sue Phillips discovered their opportunity to brighten a sick child's day via the Internet - one pillowcase at a time.

Both are federal civil service employees with the 434th Civil Engineer Squadron here.

"I'm a quilter, and I ran across the need on one of my quilting sites; it was all downhill from there," Vail said smiling.

A nonprofit organization challenged its chapters to sew and deliver 44,000 pillowcases during the month of September - one for each child currently battling cancer across North America. A challenge that if met would equal nearly 21 miles of pillowcases.

"This is an act of love that Alice and I just decided to do about a month ago," said Phillips, a 39-year civil service veteran. "We're both lucky to have grandchildren that have been healthy. We just have a lot of love for what we do and the wild colors we put into the pillowcases. The white ones are so sterile."

The seamstresses made one delivery of 28 pillowcases with the help of Chief Master Sgt. Mike Bowden, 434th CES civil engineer manager.

"The nearest collection point is Noblesville, (Ind.) so thankfully, Mike lives near there and offered to help out," explained Phillips.

Both Vail and Phillips said they intend to continue the project long after the month-long challenge ends; however, they think it would be great to have others involved too.

They said it's a simple process, but the process is generally a two to three day process since both work fulltime - purchasing the material, laundering, cutting, sewing, ironing and packaging the pillowcases in "baggies."

"If we had a couple of cutters, a couple of sewers and someone to launder and package that would be nice and we could get a lot more done," said Vail, an office automatic assistant who has been a civil servant for 10 years. "We're always on the hunt for the best, happy materials hopefully on sale because, like everything else, the cost just keeps rising."

Despite the time, money and effort, both Vail and Phillips are happy to be a part of the project.

"You know you're helping someone though, so it's worth it," sail Vail.

Phillips seconded that notion.

"I volunteered both of us to go down to Riley this winter to let the kids pick out their fabric and help sew their own pillowcases, but I might be a weepy mess," said Phillips. "It's a fun project with a reward at the end.

"The pillowcases will be sent to Riley and Peyton Manning Children's Hospitals and any sick child, whether it is cancer or some other illness, picks out their own pillowcase, and hopefully makes them feel more at home," Phillips added.

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command.

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CES members sew for cheer

CES seamstresses sew to make a difference

Public Affairs Staff