Fabric donations, volunteers needed for annual community sew-in Saturday

The popular Pahrump Community Sew-in returns to the NyE Communities Coalition campus on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The annual event was created roughly four years ago to help make a difference for the town’s less fortunate school-age students and their families.

Coordinator Barbara Johnston said too many children and their family members are having a difficult time making ends meet.

The handcrafted pillowcases, she said, will help the students maintain the necessities needed to attend class with their peers.

Inside the pillowcases will be toiletries, which were donated especially for the program.

“The items that are donated include personal care items like shampoos and lotions or whatever that have been donated to the students in need and it does differ from student to student,” she said.

The program, Johnston said, would not be possible without the assistance of the Pahrump Valley Rotary Club, who provided the fabric for the pillowcases.

“The Rotary Club did purchase 200 yards of fabric,” she said. “We are still looking for some more washable children’s printed fabric. We are hoping next year that we can get some other service clubs to match that donation.”

Twenty-three people have agreed to participate in the sew-in. Johnston said there’s still room for more.

“We can accommodate about 35 people comfortably,” she said. “We have other positions for volunteers, such as folding and counting the fabric. We could probably use up to 50 people at this point. All they have to do is show up, and we will put them to work for about an hour or so.”

Those who want to sew the pillowcases will need to bring along their sewing machines, Johnston said.

“We also ask those who can bring an iron and ironing board to do so, because some of the fabrics coming in will not be ironed and ready to go,” she said. “Folks can just show up there and we will point them in the right direction. We have a lot of people who enjoy sewing in our town.”

Additionally, Johnston said the event also serves as a way to socialize.

“A lot of times people are just looking for something very simple to do for about an hour,” she said. “This is a very easy way for them to do that and it’s a nice way to socialize and have a lot of fun. We will also have coffee for the people who show up.”

NyE Communities Coalition is located at 1020 E. Wilson Road, across the street from the school district offices.

For more information on the sew-in call Johnston at 775-751-5356.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes