Front Lines
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iNerlinP
Sewing Seeds Of Comfort, Dignity
Robert A. Sklar
Editor
I
magine being a seriously wounded soldier forced to wear only a
hospital gown because he no longer could maneuver into ordi-
nary clothing. A coalition of caring Americans imagined just that
and decided to respond.
Sew Much Comfort for the Troops h, a unique service operating
in 18 U.S. regions and through a European chapter in Germany. This
resourceful national nonprofit is committed to providing custom-
styled adaptive clothing for soldiers who
may have prostheses, braces, casts, burn
sites, gunshot or shrapnel wounds, or
missing limbs. There is no charge for
such a gift of dignity, comfort and rela-
tive independence.
The intent is to help these veterans
physically and emotionally. Recovery
time for some can stretch months or years. The survival rate among
service members wounded in combat is above 90 percent. With better
body armor and medical improvements, more soldiers are surviving
what once would have been fatal wounds.
Volunteer sewers convert shirts, shorts, pants, undergarments and
swimwear by splitting side seams and installing Velco fabric fasteners.
This allows ease for medical exams and physical therapy.
"The group does fabulous work;' says volunteer caller Rhea Brody
of Bloomfield Hills. Since November, Brody has helped solicit new
clothes, volunteer sewers, fabric and thread. She also welcomes gifts
of money to defray the cost of shipping the group's re-purposed wear-
ables to military hospitals. The Detroit Pistons donated 250 shirts,
which veteran-patients eagerly wore instead of hospital gowns.
Sew Much Comfort /Michigan leader Patricia Quintero of Hazel
Park has run sew-ins at Haberman's Fabrics in Oakland County;
women bring in portable sewing machines to re-adapt clothing. The
Michigan chapter has about 100 volunteers. Last year, it shipped
almost 10,000 garments to military hospitals stateside and overseas.
The work is meticulous. For example, sewers make apparel that fits
over a fixator, a 36-inch metal halo that goes around an injured limb.
They re-sew full-length access pants, basketball-style athletic shorts
and adaptive shirts to cover upper-body
injuries. Garments for men and women
are designed with input from medical
personnel and the wounded recipients.
Each recipient receives a patriotic note
of
gratitude.
- Rhea Brody
"I felt our wounded soldiers should
not be forgotten',' said Brody, a congre-
gant at Shaarey Zedek in Oakland County. "Any help they get to make
their life more comfortable with easily accessible clothes so they can
dress themselves is so worthwhile'
She's moved by the cause.
"These brave souls have suffered horrific bodily injuries:' she said.
"They need love and encouragement." ri
"I felt our woun ded soldiers
should not be fo rgotten."
Sew Much Comfort's Web address is: www.sewmuchcomfortorg. To volunteer
time or to contribute money or materials, contact Rhea Brody at (248) 540-
4832 or via e-mail rhebob@comcast.net.
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JBlog
Talk Is Cheap
W
hen we are young, we are barraged by sounds; and it is
in this way that we learn to speak. That, of course, is one
very good reason not to talk baby talk to a baby — so
many speech problems can be imprinted that way.
But what of the import of talk in our lives. It must be great consid-
ering all the expressions related to talking that
our language yields.
There are types of people who are known by
their talk. Consider the big talker, the boaster.
He might also be described as being all talk. It
is also possible for such a person to be able to
talk one's arm (or ear or leg) off because he is
able to go on at great length with no pause. This
person is not to be confused wit the one who can
just talk away, being able to pass time in conver-
Sy Manello
sation with ease.
Editorial
Do you know folks who talk at you? They do
Assistant
not want a response and, therefore, often dis-
courage listening. (Is that why many teens tune
us out?) Often, though, we run into a speaker
who likes to make talk; he's just passing time and not always with
something of merit.
If you encounter someone who is having or causing a problem, you
may wish to have a talk with him; such words of caution may have a
desired effect. However, the true recalcitrant may be tempted to talk
8
July 26 2007
back, which leads to more trouble. (The only place a talk back is posi-
tive is after certain play performances when the audience is asked to
share with the director, writer or actors.)
If you find yourself talking down to someone, you are being
patronizing, and that is not to be encouraged. If you try, however, to
talk down might be an effort to silence someone by talking louder
than he or she. The posi-
tive side of talking down
would be directions given
to aid a pilot in distress.
Depending on your gull-
ibility, you may find that
someone will talk you
into something; be wary!
This may encourage you to
talk out the problem and
(Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll) save yourself from being
talked out of your money
or time or opinion. It is
usually beneficial to talk
over something; that would help clarify understanding.
If you hear something being talked up, it is being praised; but be
sure you are not being taken in by a smooth talker.
My parting word of advice: If you have nothing to say, don't say it,
unlike so many talkers out there. Li
"The time has come,"
the Walrus said, "to
talk of many things...
))
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