“I started with crochet, picked up knitting, and then decided I wanted to make my own yarn from raw wool. I started watching YouTube videos about it. One thing led to another, and I was driving two hours to buy a spinning wheel. I’ve had it about two years. Some of them are pretty expensive, but this is a cheaper one. It’s how people used to make their clothes. It’s how they used to make everything. I’m not the greatest spinner in the world. But with the yarn I produce, I’ve been able to make all sorts of things: scarves, hats, sweaters, blankets, toys. If there’s a pattern, I can make it.

“I don’t spin as much as I’d like to because it takes a lot of time. But I knit and crochet pretty much every day. It’s very relaxing. It’s like therapy. When I feel stressed out, I’ll pick up my needles or my hook and just relax. Maybe it’s the methodical moving of my hands, keeping myself busy, that does it. Maybe it’s also being able to take just a string and a stick to create something. There’s a real satisfaction in that.”

— Sarah Prewitt

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This mom started a clothing exchange out of necessity. Her idea has grown into a program that benefits hundreds of local families, who donate clothing they no longer wear so that they can select other clothes they need.

“In the summer of 2012, my oldest daughter was diagnosed with a tumor. All our money was going toward medical testing. We didn’t know how we were going to get school clothes that year. Both parents worked, so we didn’t qualify for assistance at all. I started thinking about doing this clothing exchange program.

“I talked to the pastor at my church, and he gave me the go-ahead to try it. The first time, we were able to help 30 families. It’s taken off from there. I knew if I had issues and couldn’t get help when I needed it, there were others as well.

“After I started the program I found out that my middle daughter has a platelet dysfunction, and I am now a single mother. We continue to have some medical issues, but we haven’t lost our faith because we believe it could always be worse.

“Everyone says I am a blessing but to be honest, all of these families that support the program and their stories are the real blessing.”

— Penny Glass

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“I make children’s boutique clothing. My niece was born about a year ago, and I wanted to make outfits for her. So I started making extras and selling them. My mother and I do it together.”

How many outfits have you made for your niece?
“Tons. I couldn’t even tell you how many. My favorite thing is probably her Minnie Mouse tutu.”

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