Beg, Grovel - I need your help!

I'm writing a post to beg, grovel and plea for help!  As most of you know, I am founder of an organization called "Sew Much Comfort".  We provide adaptive clothing for the wounded troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  This clothing allows the troops to get dressed soon after their injury, provides them with more comfort and dignity than the ever-so-unpleasant alternative (hospital gown!) and lets them know, with every stitch, that America supports them!

The clothing we've created up til now has been geared solely for their hospital rehabilitation.  But, we've had requests recently from troops returning to active duty who need to have their uniforms adapted to accommodate injuries and prosthetics.  This is where it gets sticky!!!!!

I am an Air Force spouse.  I live near an Air Force Base.  We have a military clothing supply store on base, but it only sells Air Force clothing.  I also found out that, in order to purchase military uniforms, I have to be a service member in that particular service.  For some reason, they wonder what you are up to when you want to purchase 1,000 uniforms from all the services!  Go figure!

We really want to begin creating these clothing items for the troops.  I'd like to have a stock of clothing on hand that we can send out for alteration to the seamstresses around the country.  Would you mind helping me????

If you could purchase a pair of Class "A" and ACU pants in whatever size you want and send them to our distribution facility in OH, this would go a long way to providing us with a start up selection of pants.  Marine folks, please remember to include the 'blood stripe' for the Class A's.   I don't know what the demand is for shirts/jackets yet, I'll let y'all know if we need them them.

Since most of the volunteers are either civilian or Air Force spouses - could you please put a note inside the box telling us what service the clothing is for and the size?!?!?!  It's our first on-line clothing drive.  Wonder why I've not thought of this before!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ginger@sewmuchcomfort.org.  Thanks 'sew' much!

The distribution facility address is:

Sew Much Comfort Distribution Facility
3170 Rodenbeck Dr.
Beavercreek, OH 45432

Comments

[Sarah]

GBear, great solicitation, and I'll see what I can do. We also might have readers out there whose spouses have gotten a little (ahem) rounder in the middle over the years and might have old Class A's that don't fit anymore. Could you use secondhand ones too?

[Judy Myrin]

I cried when I read about your adaptive clothing and send you HUGE appreciation and admiration. As a little girl I watched my beloved Grandmother sewing adaptive
clothing for my Grandfather who had lost his left arm. He had 5 friends who had each lost arms and they formed a traveling band that traveled our country playing music to make a living for their families. May God Bless You for your Big Hearts & Great Energy & Efforts on behalf of our military men & women.

[GBear]

Great question, sorry I didn't address this. According to the hospital regulations, clothing must be new.

[Stephanie]

Thanks for bringing the need to our attention! I'll see what we can do. :)

Are there certain sizes in greater demand than others or does it matter?

[Stephanie]

Thanks for bringing the need to our attention! I'll see what we can do. :)

Are there certain sizes in greater demand than others or does it matter?

[GBear]

My best guess is 20% Medium, 50% Large, 30% X-Large.

Thanks!

[Val]

Assuming that you need atire for Navy folk as well... do Class As = Dress blues? (Sorry... we speak a different language sometimes....)

[GBear]

Gads, have I done it again??? First with housing maintenance and now with clothing. I've got to admit, I'm learning more and more about the differences in service languages every day!

Here goes though...Pants they wear to work. I guess that would be dress blues - is it dress greens for the Army?

Sorry, folks, I'm new to this inter-service translation stuff. Never realized how many differences there were. Perhaps we can make a translation dictionary. That would be useful!

[phyllis]

If you mean army are you talking BDU the cami.. uniforms. Then do they want original green, the desert which is discontinued I think or the digital desert BDUs. Their is the class A ugly green that no one seems to wear except the recruters and teachers or the Dress blues that sit in closits until the annual xmas party.

[GBear]

According to one of my Army sources, the name BDU has been replaced by ACU. It's the desert cami. And, I assume it's the ugly green that no one actually wears to work, but if they were to go to work and not wear the ACUs they would need to wear.

We are trying to make it possible for the wounded troops who want to stay on active duty to do so in comfort. The adaptations will make it possible ,for example, for a service member with an amputation to have access to the prosthetic during the day in order to change out 'socks' worn over the amputation site and to dress more easily.

Eventually, we will need some of the more formal clothing as these troops will be attending formal functions on occasion as well. But I'd like to focus on the work place clothing. Whatever is required in your service to be worn during the work day. That's what I need.

[Semper Fi Wife]

Okay, so for Marines, the term would be utilities.

I live about 20 minutes from Quantico and I'll go get some.
I know some of my Semper Fi guys have been given Sew Much Comfort apparel and I just wanted to thank you for that.

[GBear]

It is our honor to be able to provide the clothing. Such an incredible gift of time and love from so many volunteer seamstresses and generous donors across the country. It's a powerful statement of American support and I am touched and humbled by it every day!

My 13 year old son, Mike, is currently enduring another limb lengthening and wears an external fixator from his hip to his ankle. Not a day goes by when I don't send up a prayer of thanks for my friends who offered to sew clothing for him - they are MUCH better seamstresses than I. These clothes makes all the difference in the world! Truly a labor of love worn every day!

But I have to break up the seriousness, with a bit of my son's sense of humor! He found out that he could make his own iron-on t-shirt decal, so he made one for himself that says, "Chicks dig guys with body piercing". I told him that he was stretching the definition of 'over-achiever' on that one!

[k]

For the Army, the everyday uniform in the ACU - digital pattern in green/gray/tan. There isn't a desert cami or the dark green BDU for active duty troops anymore. Dress uniforms are the Class A/B (the ugly green business suit) and the Dress Blues (black & blue suit for formal occasions).

Funny all the different terms used for uniforms across the services...

[k]

I forgot to ask if there is a need for the undershirts they have to wear? i.e. for the Army with the ACU it's a tan t-shirt.

[GBear]

For now, I'd like to stick with the pants. Once we've successfully launched this program, then we'll move into adapting the shirts.

I promise to keep everyone aware of how the program is going!

[JodieCoyote]

To my knowledge, you do not have to be on Active Duty to purchase uniform items through retail chains such as U.S. Cavalry. Prices are often cheaper and quality is usually better, too, since many different manufacturers make "uniform' items such as pants and shirts. Some companies even offer free shipping, too. There is no law against owning military uniforms -- it's WEARING them that has some restrictions! I don't know who told you otherwise, but it was probably someone from military clothing sales who didn't know better.
I think your organization is wonderful. Good luck and I hope this helps.

[JodieCoyote]

I meant to add a few links for you. This is a great place to buy uniform items. They even offer free shipping to APOs "over there.'

http://www.mrmilitaria.com/default.aspx

And of course......the 'standard' in uniform and equipment:

http://www.uscav.com/Home.aspx

Great selection here, too:

http://www.rangerjoes.com/

I would bet that ANY of these companies would offer massive discounts to an organization such as yours, particularly in exchange for a little free advertising.

I have personally bought "military items" (everything from Blackhawk bags to PT shorts from these websites and was never once asked to show an I.D. card or explain what I wanted them for.)

[Megan]

With the navy, the every day office wear would be working whites for the summer and working blues for the winter, and somtimes in some commands they may have to wear their dress whites or dress blues. And if they are E7 and above they would wear khakis.
I would love to help buy some uniforms, but we can not afford to at this time. A year or so ago I did contact you and receive the pattern to help make the clothing, but unfortunatly a few things came up right after and I was unable to help.

I think what you do is wonderful!! I just wish I could help more.

[stacy ehrlich]

I saw a wonderful article in our local San Diego, CA newspaper about your org....I want to start sewing with you..Im trying to make my way thru this .com, but can't seem to find where to get patterns, etc....please help..
thanks.......

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