The sewing, ironing, and filling strips of muslin with waterabsorbing granules has become a labor of love for Franklin CountyHomemakers Education Association members. HEA member Bonnie Day said the group has grown since its inception. "At least one woman who is not a member of HEA is helping tomake neck coolers to ship to military personnel stationed inAfghanistan," she said. "She saw the activity in the Up& Coming section of the newspaper and showed up to help." Seamstress Judy Doxsie of the Country Girls Unit said sewing thefabric took her back to the days of working in garment factories. "I sewed lace and set the bands on wedding skirts when Iworked in Bridal Original in Du Quoin," she said.
"Itused to be located next to the fairgrounds. I worked there for 17years. Deanna Wilkerson, a member of the Browning Unit and the HEA Board,invites all to attend the Sept. 19 international lesson on livingwhen she talks about Trinidad and Tobago. Day credits Linda Swinford for her coordination efforts.
Swinfordsaid HEA members meet monthly to make neck coolers, with the nextmeeting date slated for Wednesday, June 20. HEA members will meetat 10 a.m. in the University of Extension Office, she said. "We started this mission called 'Sewing for Troops' inOctober," Swinford said. "Our soldiers who are serving inAfghanistan will experience temperatures in excess of 130 degreesbefore the summer is over.
"According to Mt. Vernon physician Richard H. Garretson, it iscrucial that the brain not get too hot or too cold," she said."The brain controls everything else in the body; the abilityto think and act as well as the ability for the body to maintain aparticular temperature." Swinford said neck coolers are shipped to the Marines, Navycorpsmen in reconnaissance, Special Forces, K-9 handlers and thosewho are operating heavy equipment. "Our troops are living inaustere, harsh conditions," she said. Day said the neck coolers are packaged in sets of two that arerubber banded together and added to the shipping box.
"We ship150 at a time," she said. "So far, we have shipped 1,050neck coolers to the troops overseas." Day said it gets rather costly buying the material, the polymergranules included in the neck cooler and the postage needed to shipthe packages. "It costs about $70 for the muslin, the polymergranules and the postage to ship a box overseas," she said."We are making a commitment to the troops." Swinford said the group received appreciation from SgtMaj KennethRocquemore, with the 1st Marine Division stationed at CampLeatherneck, Afghanistan. "Your support, concern and generosity are greatlyappreciated," he wrote. "Receiving these packages willbring much needed comfort to the service members of this command.
"Many talk about supporting their troops; fewer actually goout of their way to do so," Rocquemore wrote. "TheMarines are doing tremendous work in this country and continue tomake forward progress on a daily basis. We are winning! Yourgenerous contribution has made a difference to the Marines andSailors whose morale has been strengthened through your support. Itis truly amazing how small tokens of generosity can movemountains." He said the neck coolers help troops withstand the dry heat.
"One of the men in the unit Sgt. Joshua Cooper ofSparta," Rocquemore wrote. "He is one of them who isoutside operating heavy equipment. Many of the troops have to sleepin the dirt, go weeks without showers or hot meals and carry 70pounds of gear. The neck coolers help them withstand the dry heatunder these conditions." Swinford said the neck coolers are easily made.
"We use 100percent cotton unbleached muslin," she said. "Fourpockets are sewn on each one with a quarter teaspoon of waterabsorbing granules sewn into each pocket. The troops then soak theneck coolers in water for a few minutes until the granules expand.They tie them around their necks and in the hot, dry desert theneck coolers cool them down by evaporative cooling." "We made 200 neck coolers in just one day," Swinfordsaid. Day said it takes about 10 minutes to assemble a neck cooler. Swinford said participants do not need to know how to sew."There are work stations set up for ironing the fabric,marking the location of the pockets with a pencil, inspecting eachone to be sure there are granules in every pocket and attaching thelabel before packing them for shipment," she said.
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