Seam Team

Kathy Ryan is part of The Seam Team that has been in existence for one year. They meet every other week with women who live at the Anna Louise Inn, an apartment building that houses formerly homeless women who have had substance abuse, physical abuse or mental illness issues.

They teach these women to sew for a creative outlet, for possible employment, and to help them feel a sense of accomplishment. They make pillows, stuffed animals, curtains, aprons and recently clothing. The pillows are the first sewing lesson and, as a result, the women have made more for their apartments. They love making pillows and adding detail to them to make them an item of pride in their apartments.

Kathy explained “These women have had a difficult time, many having come in off the streets, and need confidence and encouragement. The pride they show in their projects is overwhelming. So many of them have not had anything positive in their lives for years. They talk while they sew and seem to relax, smile and feel a sense of accomplishment.”