Extension, nonprofit partner to sew 100s of pajamas for children in need

Extension Homemakers, from left, Betty Robshaw (Hancock County), Rita Fortin (Somerset County), and Mary Soper (Hancock County), package pajamas for delivery to local children. Submitted photo

For the second year in a row, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Homemakers across the state partnered with nonprofit Janet’s Jammies to make hundreds of pajamas for children in need. Volunteers from Homemaker clubs in Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock and Somerset counties turned piles of donated fabric into 260 pairs of flannel pajama bottoms.

Janet’s Jammies was established in 2021 in honor of Janet Brzozowski, an avid seamstress who loved sewing clothes for others. The organization was founded on Janet’s philosophy “to delight in the detail, to stitch care in every garment, and to wrap ourselves in the love of our family,” according to a news release from University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Melissa Arndt.

Extension Homemakers State Director Lisa Fishman, left, delivers pajamas to Nicole Cooley, development director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kennebec County. Submitted photo

When she heard about the effort of the Homemakers, Janet’s mother, Shirley Ladd, said, “I think Janet would be in tears knowing that so many children have been blessed by the work of the Homemakers to assemble and distribute so many sets of pajamas in her name.”

A red heart is sewn onto each pair of pajamas to symbolize the love that went into every stitch. United Way in several Maine counties helped to identify families in need and then distributed the colorful pajamas with matching T-shirts to children ages 2-6.

United Way representatives across the state were thrilled to receive the pajamas, with several branches staying open beyond normal business hours to receive them. The director of the Boys and Girls club of Augusta called to request additional pajamas to make sure they could meet the needs in their area.

Volunteers from Homemaker clubs in Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock and Somerset Counties turned piles of donated fabric into 260 pairs of flannel pajama bottoms. Submitted photo

The Maine Extension Homemakers are already stitching pajamas for the next distribution, scheduled for November. This time around, Janet’s Jammies is creating larger sized patterns to accommodate older youth. The organization is also requesting donations of clean flannel material.

Those with extra material they’d like to donate can email Extension Homemakers State Coordinator Lisa Fishman at lisa.fishman@maine.edu.