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March 28, 2024 7:22 am
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Local Service Has Global Reach

By STEPHANIE BUNKER

Moapa Valley Progress

More than 75 local women and girls gathered last week at the Overton Senior Center to make feminine hygiene kits for needy girls in third world countries. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORRI RUST.
More than 75 local women and girls gathered last week at the Overton Senior Center to make feminine hygiene kits for needy girls in third world countries. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORRI RUST.

More than 75 women and girls, from all over Moapa Valley, came together on Tuesday night July 12 to benefit the lives of impoverished girls across the globe.

Days for Girls is an organization dedicated to empowering girls in third world countries by providing reusable feminine hygiene kits for them. Many local women have been making these hygiene kits in their homes for the organization. But Overton resident Lorri Rust organized a community event where everyone could come and produce a much larger amount of the kits from start to finish.

Lynae Black was one of the many volunteers at last week’s event. “It’s amazing that we can help by doing a simple thing here tonight, but a million of young girls somewhere will benefit from it,” Black said.
Together the volunteers made 80 feminine hygiene kits that evening to send to girls in need. This is actually a significant number considering the effort put into making them.

The women met in the Overton Senior Center where there were cutting, ironing, and sewing stations filling the large multi-purpose room.

Local teens Ashley Jourdan (left) and Maylee Eide take ironing duty during the Days For Girls service project last week. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORRI RUST
Local teens Ashley Jourdan (left) and Maylee Eide take ironing duty during the Days For Girls service project last week. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORRI RUST

There are three items that need to be sewn for each kit. The process is extremely meticulous because the organization wants to provide a long-lasting product for those that will be using them.

Each shield has to be traced and cut out by hand because the pattern is so specific. They also have pockets sewn onto them so the pad can fit inside. When they are dealing with the waterproof liner they have to use hair clips to hold it in place while sewing as opposed to pins which poke a hole into the water-proofing.

The pads are designed to look like a colorful handkerchief so that the girls using them can hang the item out to dry without it being obvious what it is used for. The ladies making the pads could use rollers to cut out the material which then needs to be serged and ironed into a tri-fold.
“We want these to be perfect because they are going to some great people!” said Logandale resident Diana Walker who was on ironing duty at the time.

The carrying totes also had to be cut and sewn then ironed. One person was on a machine sewing up the sides of the bags and sewing a drawstring pocket on each one. Another group of girls were threading ribbons through holes to create the drawstring effect. Each bag is tagged with a “Days for Girls” emblem.

There was another section of work that was dedicated to assembling the kits. The kits contain ZIPLOC freezer gallon sized bags, new colorful washcloths, travel sized soaps, new panties, a drawstring bag, 8 liner pads, and 2 shields.

Donations of materials are encouraged, Rust said. “What Days For Girls needs most is 100% cotton flannel and quilter’s cotton in bright, happy, feminine, stain-hiding print,” she said. “That, along with funds so they can purchase other supplies needed.”

As effective as this big service event is, it has not been held on a regular basis. But there are several volunteers that help make the hygiene products regularly. Logandale resident Liz Eddie has a station set up inside her home where she invites friends to come work on the project whenever they can. Because there are so many steps involved in making pads and liners, she focuses on making just the pads.
“There is so much serging that needs to be done and not everyone has a serger,” Eddie said. “It’s so easy to do just a few minutes at a time.”

Overton resident Pennie Rumsey also works on hygiene kits in her home. She involves her kids in the process of making shields.
“I like to do cutting, the kids hold the pattern and trace,” she said.
Rumsey said that she feels it is important to show her children how to serve others.
“I feel a lot of joy by being able to do something to help other people,” she said.

Rust said that she was overwhelmed by the response from the community in helping with the Day’s for Girls project.
“Everyone can do it!” she said. “Everyone can do something.”
She explained that there was even a 5 year old carrying stuff back and forth. On the other hand, possibly the oldest lady there was 84 year old Betty Trombley.
“Everyone is self sufficient,” Rust said. “Someone shows them what to do
and they go for it.”

Rust was very grateful to Chris Trombley for the use of the Overton Senior Center as well as the help from Jack Johnson, Ken Hall, and Tyson Perkins to set up tables and chairs.

Rust is planning to hold another community Days for Girls event this fall on October 12 at the Old Logandale School from 6-8 pm.
In the meantime, anyone interested in helping make the feminine hygiene kits at home can contact Rust at 702-397-2168. The group is also accepting financial donations which will go toward the purchase of a commercial snap press as well as other supplies and fabrics needed.

As the members of the community serve they are not setting a number goal of kits to make. “We are just setting goals of serving and loving others through our service,” Rust said.

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