A young girl turned a love of sewing into a way to help troubled youth. Riviera Steinberg, a student at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, was challenged to come up with a service project over the summer as part of her bat mitzvah. She decided to try to help youth her own age who need a hand up. “I think it’s important to let these kids know they’ve got people thinking about them,” said Steinberg. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to leave your house due to unstable or violent conditions, or to be homeless or something like that, especially when you’re between 12 and 17.” The 13-year-old began her research online and found a group of women in Edmonton who make hand-sewn hearts for babies in the NICU. The project piqued her interest, and Steinberg decided to come up with something similar for her own age group. She decided to make pillowcases for troubled youth, a gift they can use to cover a pillow or as a bag to keep their personal belongings. She thought it might be important for those who might be shuffled around from one home to another, to have something familiar wherever they go. “I wanted to create this to let them know that there’s somebody thinking about them and that they’re got somebody watching over them and everything will be okay,” said Steinberg. Having sewn since age eight, making something from scratch was a no-brainer. She went out and purchased some fabric, and came up with a simple pillowcase design based off of a case she found at home. After cutting her fabric pieces, each pillowcase takes up to about 15 minutes to make, she said – barring any mistakes that mean ripping and re-sewing a seam. It’s bringing her love of sewing together with her desire to help others. “I feel like I can use that skill for good, to help these kids to have something of their own to help them through whatever they’re going through,” said Steinberg. The pillowcases are distributed through the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary. When Steinberg first decided what the project would be, she began searching for organizations in Calgary that cater to the 12-17 year age group, and the Boys and Girls Club stood out for her because it works with a number of different youth organizations and institutions, she said. After making several pillowcases with fabric she’d purchased, Steinberg though she’d reach out to the community and see if she could find donations that would help fuel her initiative. Her first thought was to contact the Ujamaa Grandmas, a group of more than 500 Calgary women who work together to raise funds and bring awareness to African lives affected by HIV/AIDS. The group had hosted a fabric sale, which Steinberg attended, so she thought she’d see whether they could donate leftover material to her cause. One member of the Ujamaa group contacted Steinberg when she heard of the pillowcase project. “She wanted to donate stuff from her private collection, so we got about two tubs of fabric,” said Steinberg. “It’s enough to do multiple runs to the Boys and Girls Club.” Since she began sewing in August, Steinberg has delivered about 20 pillowcases to the Boys and Girls Club. She’s hoping to receive more fabric donations from the community to continue making the cases. “I know a lot of people have fabric lying around and a lot of the time it’s just kind of unused and we can put it towards something good, and something for a good cause,” said Steinberg. Her mom, Faye Steinberg, said the pillowcase project has been very good for her daughter. “It’s a real win-win for her because she struggles a bit with anxiety and it just really calms her,” said Faye. “It’s giving back and then she gets something, too.” She said the pillowcases have been well-received by the Boys and Girls Club so far. “They love the idea because they’re giving them something personal that they get to take with them, because normally these shelters, of course they have clean bedding but then they have to leave that there, said Faye. “The lady at the Boys and Girls Club said it’s amazing what a difference it makes to these kids, just that somebody out there is thinking about them.”
