Sewing for U.S. soldiers’ Comfort
Alice Collinsworth
The Edmond Sun Newspaper

For more information about Sew Much Comfort, visit www.sewmuchcomfort.org or
call Donna Pitts at 405-341-9051.

EDMOND — Every day, we hear stories of service men and women who are injured in combat and face long rehabilitation.  What we often don’t hear is the story of volunteers who pitch in to create clothing specially tailored to those wounded soldiers’ needs.  Donna Pitts of Edmond is one such volunteer. She sews for an organization called Sew Much Comfort, a nonprofit group that provides adaptive clothing to fit over casts, orthopedic appliances, burns or missing limbs.  “Whatever is needed, we adapt,” Pitts said.  The local woman began sewing for Sew Much Comfort earlier this year and already has made 18 or 19 garments, she said.  Pitts is no stranger to the sewing machine.  “My gosh, I’ve been sewing since I was 8 years old,” she said. For many years, she created custom clothing for anyone from toddler sizes to plus size 7X, along with authentic Choctaw tribal clothing.  Her new involvement with Sew Much Comfort lies close to her heart. Pitts’ brother was killed in the Vietnam War, and that motivates her to help service men and women today.  “I thought if he had lived and someone could have helped him, I would have appreciated it,” she said.  Pitts said she’s the only Sew Much Comfort volunteer in Edmond, as far as she knows, but she’d like to see more people get involved.  The group adapts ready-made T-shirts and polo shirts for those with special needs, and makes khaki shorts and pants “from scratch.” They also sew boxer shorts for men and specially adapted undergarments for women. Many of the garments have hook-and-loop fastening tape, large-size snaps or other easy-to-use closures.  Pitts said the wounded soldiers appreciate having everyday clothing to wear as they recover.  “If they don’t have something like this, they’re going to be wearing a hospital gown with their heinies hanging out,” she said. “These things enable people to dress themselves and feel more of a person.”  Sew Much Comfort was started by a military wife named Ginger Dosedel, who first made adaptive clothing for her 12-year-old son, a cancer patient. She made similar clothing items for patients at Walter Reed Medical Center in December 2004, and a cause was born.  Charles Gibson of ABC News profiled Dosedel as the “Person of the Week” in a March 23 broadcast.  Locally, Pitts encourages others to get involved with the effort.  “Regardless of your politics and regardless of your view on the war, it’s something that’s really needed,” she said.  Supporters don’t even need to know how to thread a needle. Sew Much Comfort volunteers provide their own materials and postage expenses, so donations always are appreciated.  Completed garments are shipped to a distribution center in Ohio and then sent to military hospitals in the United States, Germany and Iraq.  “It’s an excellent way to support the troops. To me, it’s more than putting a ribbon on the bumper of my car,” Pitts said. “It’s my passion. I can turn out a lot of these things if I just have the fabric.”  About 20 returning service men and women each week need adaptive clothing, Pitts said. The national group estimates by the end of 2007, they will have made 30,000 garments.  Donors in the Edmond area may contribute directly to Pitts. Those who would like their gift to be tax deductible and those who would like to sign up as a sewing volunteer may donate through the Web site, www.sewmuchcomfort.org