Success StoryStitched Smiles: Empowering Youth to Bring Joy to Nursing Home Residents



Stitched Smiles: Empowering Youth to Bring Joy to Nursing Home Residents

Author: Lisa Jones

Planning Unit: Whitley County CES

Major Program: Family and Consumer Science

Plan of Work: Improve Individual and Family Development

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

The 4H program is teaching young people valuable home economics skills that are becoming less common nowadays. According to the Daily Mail, 7 out of 10 youth don't know how to sew a button. Through the program, they are learning to use sewing machines, identify machine parts, use an iron, follow patterns, and sew straight seams. They even made pillowcases with sleeves and bodies to practice their skills. The group has planned to sew over 90 pillowcases for a local nursing home as a service project. They will work on this during their fall club meetings. Some of their travel-size pillowcases were entered into the county fair, and winners may go on to the state fair. At the beginning, 67% of youth didn't know how to use a sewing machine, but after the program, 83% felt confident enough to complete sewing projects on their own. Everyone in the program felt more creative and had a chance to express themselves.


Railynn Whitehead, 9 years old, sewing camp participant accompanied by Colleen Brummett, homemaker. 







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