Over thirty community members joined Dover Rotarians for a successful project making mittens for the unhoused on Saturday, Dec. 13 in partnership with Abby Lamothe, founder of Seacoast Sweet Stitches.
A young woman from south Dover said she noticed the flyer in town and thought she could do her part to help others during the holidays and learn to sew at the same time. Another family with young children cut up old sweaters to be used for mittens and other volunteers cut strips of donated fleece for the die cutting team to create the 3-piece mitten sections. Lamothe provided instruction, encouragement and enthusiasm during the two-hour session.
The event was part of Dover Rotary’s Gifts of Warmth projects chaired by Rotarian Jim Munro.
“I was pleased with the great turnout at this busy time of year and glad to be making a difference for people suffering through this frigid weather.”
Munro also thanked Lamothe for sharing her time and talent to bring warmth to our needy neighbors.
All supplies were donated, including yards of fleece, a die-cutting system and sewing machines (for those with some sewing ability). Leftover bits and pieces of fleece would be used by volunteers at the Hope Memorial shelter to make dog beds.
Lamothe said, “Nothing goes to waste.”
In addition to the mitten project, Dover’s Rotary club members hold an annual shopping day in December to purchase over $3,000 in hats, gloves, coats, toiletries, tarps, and other necessities for the unsheltered, distributed by Strafford County Community Action.