Members of the Grace Mennonite Fellowship sewing group repaired about 1,400 uniform pockets for the Bastrop County Juvenile Boot Camp.
What's happening
In an effort to limit participants’ ability to hide prohibited items, women of the Grace Mennonite Fellowship church sewed the uniform pockets shut for the alternative education and discipline program.
“As helpers of Jesus at Grace Mennonite, we have a core belief that all children are valuable and all children deserve a chance,” Gaylene Long, a member of the sewing group, said.
Beginning in mid-June, the group met for three hours each Tuesday over four consecutive weeks. The boot camp donated a few rolls of thread and some sewing needles, while the women financed most of the necessary items themselves, including additional thread and heavy-duty needles.
The background
Long’s son suggested that she and the group members close the uniform pockets to reduce the flow of restricted items into the boot camp. The group repaired pockets on approximately 140 uniforms and made patches to carefully close any damage found in the fabric without altering the uniforms’ fit or design.
“A lot of the needles broke off around the room while sewing because the uniforms were so thick, but it was a fun opportunity,” Long said.
