By Jason Klaiber
Staff Writer
Manlius resident Liz VanIderstine has made sure to put her retirement to good use.
VanIderstine, now 76, has been hosting Sew-A-Thons at the Fayetteville Free Library on 300 Orchard St. for the past few years.
This string of charitable sewing events first came to be when Camillus area churchgoers asked VanIderstine to contribute money to Joseph’s House, a nurturing center for women facing unplanned pregnancies or homelessness.
Short on finances at the time, VanIderstine opted instead to offer her time and talent.
She organized a group called Sew Helpful to stitch together everything from tote bags to diaper-changing pads.
Through their Sew-A-Thons, VanIderstine and her team have also sewn clothing for people in St. Thomas, pillow cases for Ukrainian troops, mittens for animals at the Central New York SPCA and polar fleece pants for Syracuse’s homeless.
Among other donations, Sew Helpful has made fidget pads for brain-injured service members at Clear Path For Veterans as well.
“Usually somebody will approach us and say that they need something,” VanIderstine said. “We’ll do what we can to sew it.”
Last month, Sew Helpful held an event benefiting the Syracuse chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace for the second time this year.
In helping out the nonprofit, VanIderstine and her group of sewers crafted materials such as blankets, bed covers and quilts.
According to the local Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter, over 200 children in the Syracuse area ages three to 17 had been sleeping on floors without bedding.
“There is so much need out there,” VanIderstine said. “So many of us go to sleep at night in a nice, warm bed and we don’t think anything about it.”
Fabric or money to buy fabric is donated to Sew Helpful by people either unable to sew or no longer interested in sewing.
At the group’s events, which take place about four or five times a year on average, those in attendance are free to fold up and package the donations to be delivered instead of using the library’s sewing machines.
The events typically take place in the library’s Fab Lab and expand to its community room to accommodate larger numbers.
“We just try to reach out to people we know aren’t getting a lot of help or need more help than they’re getting,” VanIderstine said. “It’s very rewarding to think that you’re making something for someone who has nothing.”
