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When Sew4Service’s Alliance chapter opened in the Alliance Commons, it became not only a creative outlet for community members but a vital resource for other Stark County nonprofits. Today, Sew4Service bridges the gap between those who create and those who benefit from handmade items through volunteer programs at its five chapters and several satellite locations.
In 2021, Executive Director Lucy Kulbago set out to engage creatives who enjoy sewing, quilting, crocheting or knitting, but don’t have a recipient in mind for their final products. She began by founding the original Sew4Service chapter in Euclid and grew the organization to include regional chapters in Alliance, Lakewood and Medina and Florence, Alabama.
Formed in 2024, the Alliance chapter and its space in the Alliance Commons marked the first time the organization had expanded into a combined sewing studio, donation location and retail store under one roof.
Today, the Alliance chapter’s sewing studio holds weekly classes, taught by its chapter coordinator Kelleen Davis, for beginners to learn how to sew and crochet. Davis, a recently retired family and consumer sciences educator, has a passion for teaching participants and creating a welcoming space.
“I feel like my career didn’t just end because I’m still teaching and helping younger people develop what I consider to be an important life skill,” said Davis. “I still get to use my teaching skills, and I’ve always been passionate about sewing.”
Beyond learning, volunteers are invited to use the sewing studio for weekly open house sessions and participate in charity sewing days, which involve sorting donations, creating charitable items and assembling charity kits that include the materials and directions for projects community members can complete at their leisure.
“People find such joy in making the items because it’s really good for your mental health,” said Davis. “Making and creating is a stress reliever that gets endorphins going because you get to use your own creativity and imagination. Then, when you add that with giving it to somebody in need, it’s such a bonus.”
These handmade items are collected and distributed to local organizations such as the Alliance Area Domestic Violence Center, YWCA Alliance and the Stark County Humane Society.
In 2025, more than 525 volunteers across the organization contributed over 30,000 hours of service, creating more than 5,000 handmade items for local social service agencies and diverting thousands of boxes of materials from landfills.
“People are so happy and excited that they can volunteer at a place that uses their sewing skills,” said Kulbago. “It creates that sense of community. It’s a place to go with like-minded people that provides social interaction.”
With several other nonprofits also housed at the Alliance Commons, Kulbago recalled regularly encountering community members in need — particularly one family experiencing homelessness who had two young daughters. They had stopped in the Commons while it was raining, and the Alliance chapter was able to give them hats and blankets that its volunteers had made.
“It wasn’t a planned donation — they were just items we had in our stash to help somebody who needs help,” said Kulbago. “It’s a day when we did good.”
Sew4Service also meets specific needs and requests from different community agencies. Recently, the Alliance chapter hemmed curtains for the Stuckey Learning Center, made aprons for a children’s cooking class held in the Alliance Commons and provided essentials like handmade changing pads and burp cloths for a baby shower hosted by the Alliance Pregnancy Center.
Although the chapter consistently makes useful everyday items like bags, pillowcases, hats and bibs, volunteers recently responded to a clear need for a new item across all ages: fidget quilts. The small blankets designed with various textures, sensory objects and fasteners are known to provide tactile stimulation — relieving anxiety and enhancing focus. Local speech therapists and day care centers utilize the quilts for children, while senior-focused organizations request them for adults with physical or developmental disabilities.
Sew4Service actively engages younger generations by holding community service projects for college students at the University of Mount Union, where they volunteer their time to learn the art of sewing and work on creating charitable items. The chapter also hosts free summer programming for children at the Alliance Commons. On July 9, children can join a session to create wind chimes and magic wands using beads.
Outside of the sewing studio and community events, the Alliance chapter operates as a donation center and retail store. Community members often bring unused sewing supplies and unfinished projects to the studio where they can be upcycled or resold at a lower price for personal creative projects. The retail store has several types of fabrics, needles, hooks, yarn and other quality supplies used to sew and crochet — supporting both the environment and the nonprofit’s charitable activities.
By learning to create different items, participating in charity sewing days and shopping for supplies at the retail store, Sew4Service volunteers help strengthen Stark County communities and nonprofits and gain a useful life skill along the way.
Learn more about Sew4Service’s classes, events and retail store at www.sew4service.org or visit the Alliance chapter in room 205 of the Alliance Commons.
Stark Community Foundation helps individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits achieve their philanthropic goals through a variety of charitable funds and strategic initiatives. Ranked in the top 10% of community foundations in the country, the foundation and its family of donors have granted nearly $300 million to nonprofits since 1963. Learn more at www.starkcf.org.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Sew4Service in Alliance supports community with handmade donations | Heart of Stark
Reporting by Stark Community Foundation, Special to the Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Stark Community Foundation, Special to the Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
