Volunteer Seamstresses Keep Injured Military in Comfort

By Christina Bozeman
94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

In December 2003, 12 seamstresses sat around a dining room table in Minneapolis wondering how they could be of service to military members. One of the lady's sons was a servicemember who had been wounded overseas; he was in need of pants that would fit over his fixation device on his leg. Soon thereafter, her son came to her with friends in need with similar situations. For the sole purpose of ease and comfort, Sew Much Comfort was created out of pure necessity.

Sew Much Comfort specializes in adaptive clothing which gives the service member and medical personnel easy and quick access to their injuries. To meet the needs of the injured servicemembers, the clothing is made to look as normal as possible at no cost. Since 2004, Sew Much Comfort has provided 30,000 pieces of clothing to military members in the United State and overseas.

Volunteer seamstresses and monetary donations are what make Sew Much Comfort able to exist and do what they do. There are seven ladies here who volunteer for this organization, and they meet at least once a month. All donations received at the thrift shop here are sent to the group's headquarters. 

"We feel very fortunate for the donations because we couldn't do this without them," Ann Groskreutz, a Sew Much Comfort seamstress said. "Everyone here at Dobbins has been very supportive."

Mark Briley, the owner of Ashby Sewing Company in Kennesaw, performs maintenance as quickly as possible for free since the machines are utilized so much the ladies bring them in for repair. He has been volunteering his time and donating parts for the machines for the past three or four years. Briley, who hails from a military family, explains: "I feel like this is the least I could do for as much as the military does for this country."

Groskreutz said, "This is his way of giving back."

This organization does not only rely on charitable donations. There are more than 2,000 volunteers across the United States who contribute to Sew Much Comfort donating their time and expertise. To make sure military members have the best fitting garments, the volunteers even go so far as to take money out of their own pockets to aid the organization's mission. Since 2004, the volunteer seamstresses here at Dobbins have sewn more than 800 pairs of pants.

After seven years, the Sew Much Comfort is growing and still going strong, providing adaptive clothing to support the unique needs of injured service members of all military branches at home in the United States and abroad. Like the soldiers commitment to defending our country, the ladies of Sew Much Comfort commit their own time and knowledge putting care into every stitch they sew. If it's possible to make the life of a wounded soldier easier, then that's what Sew Much Comfort will continue to do.