Women of Aurora's Fourth Street United Methodist Church cut, sewed and donated 80 fabric diapers in a three-day sewing bee at the church.
Montgomery's Mona Middleton, project leader, said the effort by seven volunteers began in May.
Northern Illinois Conference UMC Bishop Sally Dyck appealed for diapers for layette kits distributed by the Methodist midwest distribution center. The facility in Channahan provides supplies for disaster relief in the U.S. and overseas.
Middleton said, "Bishop Dyck asked 65 Aurora District UMC churches to supply 1,250 diapers. At Fourth Street, we set a goal of 50 diapers."
Diapers were required to be made from new, unwashed flannel, Middleton said.
After she obtained a diaper pattern from the MDC, a coffee can was passed during Sunday worship services that yielded $100 in donations for flannel.
"I promptly purchased the flannel we needed and we got to work," Middleton said.
"On three Wednesdays, we cut out diapers and sewed pieces using a single sewing machine. At the end of the day, we took home anything uncompleted for homework and started again next week.
"We worked intensely in May, knowing that we had a deadline of June l.
"One of the delights we enjoyed was having Marsha Simmons' nine-year-old granddaughter, Caitlin Korte, join us one day during a visit from Grosse Ile, Mich.
"She spent the morning cutting out diapers and was very precise and very productive!"
Other volunteers were Aurora's Simmons; Middleton, Louise Hari and Bert Van Ekeren, Montgomery; Mary Lou Pierson, Sugar Grove; and Marlis Hutchinson, Naperville..
"We were pleased to send 80 diapers to annual conference this year," Middleton said. "Many hands made light work!"
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