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SALT LAKE CITY — One Utah teen picked up a new skill in hopes of helping others his age feel more loved this Christmas.
Last year, Casey Chapman handed out donations to the homeless and noticed a large population of children among the group. He got in touch with the Utah Foster Care organization in Orem, located at 274 Center St., and learned many children who bounce from home to home end up on the streets.
“It broke my heart to hear their stories,” Chapman said.
Chapman also learned about the need for gifts for the children during the holiday season. He then realized the ideal gift was simple: hand-sewn pillowcases. That way they could also use their gifts as bags to carry their personal items.
In August, the 13-year-old set out to make 300 pillowcases for his Eagle Scout project. Chapman picked up the skill and at the same time, dispelled a myth.
“Boys can sew. They might not be really good but I've learned through three months I've been working on this, that it is possible,” he said.
Chapman reached out to the community via Facebook asking for fabric donations, and in return got more than he asked for.
“The response was incredible,” he said. “I had people dropping of yards and yards of fabric. I had people sewing the pillowcases themselves. It was amazing.”
When all was said and done, Chapman donated 658 pillowcases to Utah Foster Care Wednesday night. He hopes these simple gifts will help others through hard times.
"I hope that everyone who gets these pillowcases is reminded that there are people around the community that are willing to help them,” Chapman said.
