Feature Story 1: Pillowcase Project Name:

The bed is old and stiff, and the walls are white and plain. Children toss and turn
relentlessly, trying to get comfortable under the old, scratchy blankets used by hundreds of kids
before. Nights are restless and they crave nothing but the comfort of being able to drift away, to
let their problems wait until the next day, and to just feel normal. They’re surrounded by white: a
dull, boring white. White rooms, white walls, white blankets and white pillowcases.
Junior Tameka Judson has found a solution, the pillowcase project. The project is
intended to bring comfort, color, and life to the children in the hospital. Gathering her friends,
Judson made 30 pillow cases—which have already been delivered. On Wednesday, Judson
and her group will be making their second delivery to the hospital.
Sitting at home watching the news, Judson was moved. Seeing the children in the
hospital and the plain white rooms, something in her shifted and she knew she wanted to make
a difference.
“My bedroom is a rainbow of colors—every color of the sun,” Judson said. “Each wall in
my room is a different color. Colors make me so happy, so I was so struck by the hospital
rooms. Everything was white and stark. I thought if I could bring a little color into those rooms, I
might be able to bring a little happiness, too.”
When Judson first had the idea, she called the hospital and ended up speaking with its
administrator, Doug Lent, who thought it was a great idea.
“This has been an absolutely wonderful project at the hospital,” Lent said. “I had no idea
how much a pillowcase could mean to a little child. I see children all over the hospital clutching
their special pillow. The parents also are grateful. These girls care so much, and it shows in
what they do and how they present the gifts.”
Judson’s not alone either. She and several of her friends, including junior Sonia
Bustamante, work in harmony to make the pillowcases. The group meets every Tuesday,
Thursday, and Sunday for two hours to work. Not everyone has to man a sewing machine and
they all find ways to use their talents to help.
“I am not very good on the sewing machine, so I do most of the cutting and pinning,”
Bustamante said. “It sounds kind of boring, but I have loved every minute of it. It’s a great group
of girls and it's so rewarding when a finished pillowcase is added to our crate.”
Judson and her group are not the only ones interested in making a difference, as others
have offered to help. After reaching out to local businesses, they got funding for the pillowcase
project and they got new materials, such as the sewing machines, pins and fabric.
“We have seven girls making the pillowcases right now,” Judson said. “Several others
have asked to join us, but we only have three sewing machines. We are trying to get a business
to donate more sewing machines. Once that happens, we can expand Project Pillowcase to
more than just the Leaguetown Children’s Hospital.”
The pillowcase Project has made a difference in the lives of children forced to spend
endless nights in the hospital. Thirty pillow cases have been made, but there are still hundreds
to go. Judson and her group won't give up, and have a goal to finish hundreds before college.
“That's my plan,” Judson said. “I want this group to make more than 1,000 pillowcases
for hospitalized children before I go off to college. With a few more sewing machines and a few
more volunteers, we will do it.”