1 R Special Advertising Section | Sunday, April 24, 2022 33 GIVING GUIDE ons to laundry services, so they could be washed and sanitized before nurses could give them out to children. Schuh said the pillowcases have played an important role in making children and teens comfortable when they get to the hospital. A nurse will ask what they like, from sports teams to characters or cartoons, and then bring them a pillowcase. Sometimes the kids even help make them. “It decreases the anxiety and fear of being in the hospital,” Schuh said. Popular pillowcase patterns include “Frozen” or “Peppa Pig,” as well as sports teams like the Seahawks and the Mariners. Marvel and Harry Potter characters are also patient favorites, Schuh said. The pillowcases were given to kids in the children’s hospital, pediatric intensive care unit and oncology department, as well as the emergency department at times. Pillowcases are not a simple thing to make, at least not when done to the Spokane nonprofit chapter’s standard. Sewing the pillowcase with a serger machine might take about 10 minutes, but the prep work — ironing, cutting, pinning and putting the kits together — could take hours. Beach quickly realized she could seek donations from a wide variety of businesses and organizations, and she would turn around and spend that money on fabric. Then she recruited more volunteers to help sew and put the pillowcase kits together. At its peak, the group would go to the oncology unit in the children’s hospital once a month for a nearly full day of sewing and helping children and teens in the hospital make their own pillowcase. The women would bring their serger sewing machines and help children and teens make their own pillowcases, getting them out of their rooms sometimes or, other times, providing a smile to a kid who was bed-bound with a special delivery. Doctors and nurses would joke that the committed group of volunteers were experts in “sergery,” and one time the group performed a dance routine, with choreography courtesy of their grandkids, in which they turned ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” into “Serger Queens,” with their own lyrics. But volunteering at the hospital wasn’t always easy. Some children would not survive their stay, and bonding with families and being a part of their journeys touched many of the volunteers. The nonprofit hosted large volunteer days when dozens of people would show up with sewing machines and work on massive batches of pillowcases. When Cherry Edwards joined the group, she worked on publicity, getting the group’s mission out there and seeking donations and volunteers. Beach, who led the nonprofit chapter for 12 years, credited the group of volunteers both at the large events and regular monthly meetups for the support and continuation of the effort. “It took a village to do this,” she said. The pandemic meant big changes for the group. They had to sew outside the hospital, and for a time the hospital couldn’t take donations at all. Then as guidance shifted, the volunteers were able to work in a clubhouse on the hospital campus that wasn’t in use. They couldn’t interact with the kids and families anymore, however. This year, the group decided to retire and shutter their nonprofit chapter. The pandemic, the volunteers’ time, either spent on their own health or families, as well as the rising costs of fabric all led to the decision to move on. Oftentimes the indemand fabrics were licensed and, as a result, more expensive. Even still, the supply chain Donations Continued from page 31 challenges brought on by the pandemic led to increased prices. When she started, Beach said the fabric she used for pillowcases was typically around $5.95 per yard. Now, a yard can cost more than $15. Each pillowcase takes a little over a yard of fabric to make. Edwards said it was bittersweet to drive to the hospital for the last time, and it was emotional to so often be a part of family’s stories, regardless of whether the child recovered. Ultimately, the group was grateful. “I think I’ve gotten more from this than I’ve given,” Beach said. Arielle Dreher’s reporting for The Spokesman-Review is primarily funded by the SmithBarbieri Progressive Fund, with additional support from Report for America and members of the Spokane community. Sixteen chimpanzees formerly used in biomedical research now have a sanctuary home in Washington. Your support duringGiveBIGwill go directly towards their care and the construction of dynamic outdoor habitats. Learn moreand fall in love with their unique personalities on our daily blog : chimpsnw.org/blog hope. love. home. sanctuary. . . CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY NORTHWEST 8 Meet Annie 8
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