Sewing club for African refugees to host open house Saturday

COLUMBIA – Community United Methodist Church, located at 3301 W. Broadway, is unveiling a sewing room for African refugee women at an open house Saturday.

Project leader Fran Lambeth said the room has been named “Just Sew You Know” to reflect the project's objectives: to provide a setting where women can work on their native crafts, speak English and interact with each other and members of the community. The church then sells the products the women make, giving all profits back to the artisans.

The women come from Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Burma, Congo and Uganda. Lambeth said that she expects 20 to 30 women to participate when the room is open on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sewing machines and fabrics have been donated to the project, and members of the young adult Sunday school class painted the old computer room that became the sewing room. Just Sew You Know is still in need of sewing machines, fabrics and other sewing supplies, however, and donations are encouraged.

The church is hosting an open house Saturday at 10 a.m. A choir formed by the refugees will perform and artisans will bring fabrics and creations. Mel West of the PET Project is expected to speak, and at least one woman will tell her “journey story.” The public is welcome both at the open house and at the weekly sewing groups.

Lambeth said that she is “hoping people from the community will feel free to help come together in a community setting and learn from each other.”