Sophomores' Sewing Club Crafts Smiles In Chatham

CHATHAM, NJ - Chatham High School sophomores Olivia Summers and Molly Huth founded the Sewing for Smiles club at CHS this year. The club now boats an active membership of 20-25 students who engage in both local and global charitable crafting efforts.

In terms of local work, Sewing for Smiles has been sewing tote bags to donate to Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Medical Center.

“I have really loved sewing and was sort of shocked when I found out there was no sewing club or class. It is a real life skill and to be able to do it for charitable reasons is amazing," Huth said. "In teaching this skill, it allows many options for the members futures, which are becoming increasing more popular, such as a careers in fashion.”

The club has also been sewing string bags to give to an organization called Days for Girls in villages throughout Kenya. In these villages, girls must stay home and miss school when they have their periods because they don’t have access to feminine hygiene products. Days for Girls developed a program to distribute sustainable sanitary napkins to girls in need, and Sewing for Smiles is making the tote bags so that the girls can carry their feminine hygiene products
with them to attend school.

According to their website, Days for Girls “has reached more than one million women and girls in 125+ countries with DfG Kits and menstrual health education. This translates into over 115 million days of dignity, health, and opportunity!”

“I am proud of the Chatham High School students in the Sewing for Smiles Club willing to volunteer their time and sewing expertise to make these colorful tote and string bags," Sewing for Smiles advisor Karen Schmitter said. "These bags will be useful and bring joy to all children at a local pediatric hospital and to schoolgirls in Kenya, Africa.”

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