BLOG #34 December 2024
#Gratitude and Giving
The winter months seem to be a time when people everywhere reflect on their many blessings and express gratitude for what they have. Feelings of gratitude inevitably lead to a focus on giving to others. The San Diego Chapter of the American Sewing Guild is involved throughout the year on giving to various community partners. You can learn more about these organizations on the “Community Service Projects and Opportunities” page of our website.
Our president, Lisa Moallemi, attends many of our Neighborhood Group (NG) meetings, often bringing kits of donation items that members can take home and sew up. These include baby blankets and quilts, burp cloths, bibs, and soft toys that are just the right size for a baby to grasp. Our Annual Retreat in June found many of our members sewing items to be donated, in addition to projects they brought to work on.
#San Diego ASG Neighborhood Groups
The North County Coastal neighborhood group conducted a sew-in on August 10, 2024 to make kitchen items for a local church that has generously provided a space for the group to hold their monthly meetings.
On October 9, the Poway NG held a mini-sew-in to create bibs and burp cloths to be added to the tables of donations collected at our annual meeting on October 19.
The El Cajon Sew Crazies do community service individually and record their hours monthly.
During the 3rd Quarter members donated to the following organizations:
Door of Hope-12 towels and 3 quilts. San Pasqual foster Academy -4 quilts and 4 pillowcases. East county animal shelter -42 dog beds. VA- La Jolla -27 walker bags. Stitching Sisters -charity quilt. Pregnancy Care Center- baby quilt. Grace Covenant Church-large cart cover.
VFW women's Council-tote bag.
In addition, they provide hours of volunteer sewing classes:
Bridge Builders- Sewing lessons 34 hrs.
Salvation Army - Sewing lessons-5 hrs.
Public Library - Sewing lessons- 4hrs.
At our Annual Meeting in October, tables were filled with items that our members had sewn for donation to our community partners.
#Sewing Machine Donations
San Diego ASG is proud of our successful Sewing Machines Donations Project. ASG outreach began in January 2022 with a goal to provide 15 sewing machines to the Afghan women in East County. As of October 2024, we have delivered 100 machines. All of them are serviced and ready to be used. Women in the sewing class at Bridge Builder’s Network in El Cajon are very appreciative of all these machines.
Students take the 8 session sewing class and then are placed on a waiting list for a sewing machine to take home. Many know how to sew, they are just getting used to the machines and learning new skills. The teachers for the class include Andrea Towle, one of our NG group leaders.
ASG has collected 108 machines as of this date. We are always looking for sewing machines, thread, needles and fabric (3 yard lengths in dark colors). Cash donations to ASG can be used to supplement our sewing machine repair fund.
INTERESTED IN JOINING SAN DIEGO ASG?
COME JOIN OUR SEWING COMMUNITY!
We would love to invite you to one of our Neighborhood Group meetings.
Contact membership@sandiegoasg.org