Sometimes, a favorite pillow is just the thing you need for comfort.
Children who have visited Gateway 
have been the grateful recipients of travel size pillows since 2008. A special group of women have made and donated over 1600 of these special pillows to Gateway over the last 13 years!
Pillow Hugs is a ministry of Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Lakewood. The Pillow Hugs Ministry meets approximately three times a year on Saturdays for six hours to lovingly make these comfort pillows, given to children in 15 shelters and agencies that deal with child protection. The kid-prints are bright and fun for children that need a little sunshine in their lives, and when they leave the shelter, they take their pillow with them. Gateway was the very first agency to benefit from the pillows.
The ladies bring their own sewing machines and work in an assembly line. Over 40 women are currently volunteering, but the program started out with just five women. Their program receives no outside funding, and they rely solely on donations and an annual craft fair (not an option in Covid) to cover the $9 cost of the finished pillow (fabric and the pillow).
Gateway is very grateful to these special women who give their time and talents to kids in crisis.
Would you like to help? Here are three ways you can assist this group:
- Donate kid-friendly fabric. Fabric needs to be 100% cotton and a novelty print. The minimum size is 18” by 30”. The bands are solid color, 10”x30”. You can drop the fabric off at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Lakewood (9 am – 1 pm, Monday through Thursday).
- Donate gift cards to fabric stores (Joann’s or Hobby Lobby) or donate cash to buy fabric.
- Sew! You can sew with the group, or sew on your own. It takes approximately 30 minutes to make a pillowcase, and directions can be found at http://www.soth.net.
Contact the coordinator (link to joann.pillowhugs@gmail.com) to donate fabric or cash/gift cards, or to volunteer. Pillow Hugs is a 501c3 organization, so all donations are tax deductible.
I absolutely love it! We have received these pillows for years, and too see how this all comes together, is Amazing 🥲 Thank you all for all your hard work, and thinking of our children. I just gave a paw patrol pillow to a two year old and the way he looked at the pillow was priceless. Mom says he love Paw Patrol, who would have known. Words can’t truly express how much Gateway appreciate what you all do.
Thanks,
Michelle