36 JUNE 2020 By Melissa Hirschl Each year, the Arizona Department of Child Safety receives 50,000 reports of child abuse and neglect. As a result, 8,000 children in Maricopa County alone are sent to foster homes. As these children move through the foster care system, they often arrive with just black plastic garbage bags containing their belongings. To soften this experience and instill a sense of self-esteem in these children, former Scottsdale foster mom Adriane Grimaldi came up with a practical grassroots project called the “Sewing Project to Help Foster Kids.” The succinct statement on her business cards says it best: “Children shouldn’t be given black trash bags to put their belongings into.” Grimaldi, who works full-time as the education director at Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, had been a foster parent for ten years, mainly taking in brothers so they can stay together. She says she was disheartened by seeing children come to her home with their belongings in garbage bags. “I understood that agencies use the most practical thing they can instead of suitcases, but it still bothered me,” she explained. “So in 2007, I started creating 100% cotton pillowcases with cord drawstrings for the kids to use. We primarily use kid-friendly fabric designs; superheroes, animals and television characters.” Grimaldi began her philanthropic mission by sending out an email to friends and family. Word spread, and soon her cadre of volunteers was in the hundreds; some who just drop off their finished pillows on her doorstep. Grimaldi expanded her vision further by organizing a monthly sewing group at the Granite Reef Senior Center in Scottsdale. Volunteers create “designer” king-size pillowcases using stacks of fabric and nine sewing machines that Grimaldi provides. “I am always looking for people to sew,” Grimaldi said, “whether they use our machines or bring their own. We demonstrate the directions, and also, the template for the pillows is on the website as well. Volunteers sometimes take an extra step and add embellishments like lace or a patch.” Grimaldi purchases a lot of her fabric from local discount fabric and craft stores, but she finds fabric in non-conventional ways as well. “Sometimes someone has fabric from a person who passed away,” she explained. “One woman had stacks and stacks of fabric from her mother’s sewing room and didn’t know what to do with it. I picked up the donation and took them to our monthly sewing project.” Grimaldi’s charity donates pillows to a variety of organizations, including Catholic Charities, Helen’s Hope Chest (part of Mesa United Way), Arizona Department of Child Safety, Child Haven children’s shelter in Las Vegas and Family Promise, a local faith-based shelter for families. “It’s refreshing to see how people want to help foster kids,” Grimaldi said. “People care and want to help, and this project gives them a sense of community and humanity.” For more: sewforfosterkids.com Helping foster kids one stitch at a time Kids can now use these pillowcases to carry their belongings when they move. COURTESY OF ADRIANE GRIMALDI REPRESENTED BUYER 9 0 9 E COCHISE DR | GREAT INVESTMENT OR LOCK & LEAVE! 3745 E BE THANY HOME ROAD, PAR ADISE VALLE Y | $2,525,000 DARLING PATIO HOME AT TAPATIO COVE! eawhitwell@gmail.com www.fengshuibyemily.com www.EmilyWhitwell.com Laryn@LarynCallaway.com www.PropertyResultsAZ.com