Volunteers spend thousands of hours each year at Inspiration Ministries. This group of four women began coming the first Monday of the month because "someone needed to do the mending and we knew how to do it." So they brought sewing machines, thousands of spare buttons in every color and style imaginable, and pockets, zippers and patches of all sorts, and set up shop.
They gather around a couple of tables in the Activities room and bring supplies as needed from the "back room." Neatly stacked bins of material, containers of buttons and fully stocked sewing baskets stand at the ready.
These moms, grandmas and great-grandmas are experienced menders. They chat amiably among each other, while needles fly and the sewing machine hums. The very tall "to be fixed" pile melts and the "delivery" pile grows. Over the span of a few hours, they mend shirts, aprons, jeans, sweaters, undergarments, towels, quilts and blankets.
Behind the casual conversation and the stacks of clothing, you'll find people who discovered a need and decided it was their job to meet it. They are deeply committed followers of Jesus and see this as a ministry.
They've been "doing this since Charlie (Inspiration Ministries founder) was here, and intend to keep at it as long as possible. They don't know what will happen when they're finally unable to work, so they're recruiting "younger folks" to train and share conversation.
Our residents appreciate the care and skill of this team. It is one more way willing hands and caring hearts help them "make ends meet."