Media and Contact

Sewport Our Troops is appreciative for the coverage we receive in the media.
Please feel free to use the following content for media and press purposes only and advise prior to publishing.
Direct all press inquiries to Patricia J. Rullo

Sewport Our Troops is a retired mother-still working daughter team who provide handmade pillowcases at no cost to our troops overseas. We ship to combat medical units, military hospitals, clinics, and directly to Afghanistan. Our pillowcases go to any location where there are service men and women who can use our help. Our sewing and distribution facilities are located in Ohio and Arizona. We also sell to the individual market via our website and in person for the sole purpose of generating funds to buy more pillowcase fabric. For every pillowcase we sell at the retail level, we make and send an additional one to a troop or troop hospital. This is not a business to create an income. Please visit Millennium Benefits Group to learn about those endeavors.

At Sewport Our Troops , there are three ways to help:

For every pillowcase you purchase for yourself, a family member, friend or military person, we will not only send you your pillowcase, but we will send one directly to a combat support hospital with your name as the donor.

You can become a "Patron", and contribute towards 5 or 10 pillowcases to be sent directly to a troop in need. To thank you, we will send free pillowcases to your home. See main website page for details.

We can always use clean and new fabric so that we may continue to provide supplies for our seamstress volunteers. If you have clean yards of material that you no longer need, you can donate it to become a cozy, handmade pillowcase. Please send new fabric to our Ohio address below.

No matter how you choose to help, we will include your name as the kind donor of a beautiful handmade pillowcase along with our next troop pillowcase shipment. We will also add your name to our website as a "Sewporter" or "Patron" of Sewport Our Troops. Your personal pillowcase purchase or your Patron contribution, or donation of new fabric allows us to create a one of a kind comforting reminder from home that says, "We care - and may every soldier feel our love and appreciation."

All of our pillowcases are made from brand new 100% cotton fabrics and boast three layers of beautiful material. Each fabric is individually selected for softness, design and color combination aesthetic. Prior to sewing, we launder the fabrics with a non-bleach organic soap, and dry without the use of synthetic dryer sheets. The soon to be pillowcase fabrics are hand cut, one at a time, and stitched in a smoke free, pet free location. All inside seams are french seamed or pinked to prevent fraying. Upon completion, each pillowcase is lovingly steam pressed with a light lavender mist, until perfect.

Our pillowcases are unique. Each one that we send to our troops features a special pocket. We tuck surprise goodies, such as gum, hard candies, ice tea or lemonade mix, and granola bars into each pocket. We even add a small handwritten note with your name as the kind benefactor. Once the treats are gone, the recipient can use the pocket to stash photos from home, letters or other cherished mementos.

Sewport Our Troops was created as an outlet to thank all military members for their brave and honorable service to our country. This is not our day job nor is it a source for revenue - but rather a tangible token of appreciation for the men and women who so willingly fight for our everyday freedoms.

Contact Information

Purchase online at: http://www.sewportourtroops.com
Make checks payable to: Millennium/Sewport Our Troops and mail to:

Sewport Our Troops c/o Millennium Star Publishing
46 Chagrin Plaza #103 - Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022

------- or -------

Sewport Our Troops c/o Millennium Star Publishing
6641 South Kings Ranch Road - Suite 5, # 124 - Gold Canyon, Arizona 85218

Send clean and new fabric to the Ohio address

Email: pat@sewportourtroops.com

YouTube video's

- Sewport Our Troops

- Mailing pillowcases to Afghanistan

- Sewport Our Troops garage sale

Photo's

Box of pillowcases ready to mail to Afghanistan Wonderful instructors - Bernina Southwest

A sewing station - Ohio A sewing station - Arizona

Recent Press

Gold Canyon residents help "sewport" the troops

Monday, 15 November 2010 22:19

By Zach Richter Today Publications - SanTan Valley Today

With the current state of the economy, it is easy to lose track of the external conflicts the country is embroiled in. However, two Gold Canyon residents are doing what they can to make sure US soldiers around the world do not feel forgotten. Friends of Seweport Our Troops show their support for American service members by pitching in.

Jo and Patricia Rullo started Sewport Our Troops earlier this year and began sending out homemade pillowcases to Afghanistan , Kuwait and to combat support hospitals across the county. So far, the mother/daughter team, with the help of a number of volunteers, has sent out approximately 300 pillowcases and they are always looking for donations that will allow them to make more.

Patricia explained that she and her mother took a quilting class in 2008, after a heart attack during surgery left Jo feeling less independent. "Along the way, we discovered that we enjoyed making pillowcases and decided to do something worthwhile for others, as a way of expressing our thanks and joy for her life," she said. She went on to say that, it was easy for she and her mother to find inspiration in the soldiers who, "willingly lay their lives on the line every single day so that we can sleep safely at night." As a small token of their appreciation, they decided to send pillowcases to them, so "They too might sleep a little better knowing that people back home appreciate their efforts."

Each pillowcase is made from brand new 100 percent cotton fabric and is comprised of several layers. Each fabric is individually selected for softness, design and color combination aesthetic. The soon to be pillowcase fabrics are hand cut, one at a time, and stitched .Upon completion, each pillowcase is steam pressed with a light lavender mist for that extra special touch. Each pillowcase also features a special pocket that is filled with candy, small treats and a small handwritten note assuring the recipient that that someone appreciates their efforts, the name of the donors responsible for the pillowcase is also included.

Patricia noted that pillowcases are available for individual purchase as well. "For each pillowcase you purchase, we will send one directly to a combat support hospital with your name as the donor," she said. "Pillowcases are generally $20 each and $37 for a pair." Sewport Our Troop also offers a patron program that allows donors to send five or ten pillowcases directly to a troop in need. As a thank you, patrons receive two free pillowcases. In addition to monetary donations, Sewport is always looking for donations of new fabric. For more information on donating, or to purchase a pillowcase head to www.sewportourtroops.com.

Send other monetary or fabric donations to Millennium/Sewport Our Troops c/o Millennium Star Publishing 46 Chagrin Plaza #103 - Chagrin Falls , Ohio 44022 , make checks payable to Millennium/Sewport Our Troops.

Sewing up an innovative business for troops

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

By Josh Echt

http://www.geaugamapleleaf.com/NewsStories/

They didn't intend to start a company. But they're sleeping well at night, knowing the fruits of their labor are supporting forces that keep our country free.

For the mother-daughter team of Pat and Jo Rullo, they're resting easy after seeing the success of their business, "Sewport Our Troops," which provides hand-sewn pillowcases to soldiers overseas. "There was no intent to start a business," said Pat, who splits her time between Chardon in the summer and Apache Junction, Ariz. , in the winter. "Sewing pillowcases was something mainly for my mom and myself to do as a positive and creative outlet."

The meteoric rise to fame the pair share today first started out with a near-tragic fall. In 2008, the then-79-year-old Jo fell at work, requiring her to undergo a total reverse shoulder replacement. While in the recovery room, she suffered a myocardial infarction, which went unrecognized for six hours. Consequently, she was placed in the intensive care unit for three months and was not expected to live. "It was a miracle she lived. Just a miracle," Pat said, adding Jo is still unable to work or drive afterwards. That setback didn't deter the Chardon duo: They soon took quilting classes at Bernina Southwest Quilt & Sew in Mesa .

"Along the way, we discovered that we enjoyed making pillowcases and decided to do something worthwhile for others, as a way of expressing our thanks and joy for her life," Pat said. "It was easy to look to our troops for inspiration as our soldiers willingly lay their lives on the line every single day so that we can sleep safely at night. As a small token of our appreciation, we decided to send our handmade pillowcases to them, so they, too, might sleep a little better knowing people back home appreciate their efforts."

Shop, wash, dry, press, measure, cut, sew. And press again. A routine both Pat and Jo realized they were good at mastering. The three-layer pillowcases, each made of 100 percent cotton, take about 30 to 40 minutes each to construct. They individually select each fabric for softness, design and color combination aesthetics. Prior to sewing, they launder the fabrics with a non-bleach organic soap and dry them without the use of synthetic dryer sheets. The cases are also hand-cut, one at a time, and stitched in a smoke- and pet-free location. Each individual pillowcase sent to troops features a five-inch-square pocket used to stow food products like granola bars, hard candies or lemonade mix. There is even a hand-written note with the soldier's name on it. "Once the treats are gone, the recipient can use the pocket to stash photos from home, letters or other cherished mementos," Pat said.

"We can't sleep on all of them and we didn't want to sell them all," she added. "Once we decided we'd send them to the troops, we put our message out via the Internet and our website." The pillowcases go to any location where there are servicemen and service women needing them, not just a particular location. The business also sells pillowcases to individuals, with the sole purpose of generating funds to purchase more fabric. Pillowcases cost either $20 individually or $37 for a pair. "This is not a business to create an income," added Pat, who owns other businesses. "By the time we buy the fabric, which costs up to $9.50 a yard, make the pillowcase and purchase the related foodstuffs, we've invested a lot of time and money into it. "For every pillowcase someone purchases for himself or herself, a family member, friend or military person, we will not only send you your pillowcase, but we will send one directly to a combat support hospital with your name as the donor," she said. "Whenever we have a 20-count box, we contact military charities like Soldiers' Angels. They send me current addresses in Afghanistan to mail the boxes," Pat said.

Right now, Pat and Jo are the main workers, although volunteer seamstresses are on call in both Arizona and Ohio . They sew in both Ohio and Arizona , depending on where they are at the time. "It allows us to reach a wider audience," she added. "We're excited to have this project explode and are ready to get as big as we can. As long as we have troops who need our attention, we will do what we can." Those interested can purchase individual pillowcases for themselves, friends, family or a military member or send financial contributions equivalent to the cost of five to 10 pillowcases. Consequently, they can become "patrons." The company will send free pillowcases in return. The company is also looking for clean and new fabric in order to provide supply for its seamstress volunteers.

For more information or to purchase a pillowcase, contact Rullo at pat@sewportourtroops.com or visit her website at www.sewportourtroops.com.

Serving Northern Ohio

Chardon mother, daughter ‘sewport' troops

Published: Monday, November 08, 2010

By Nick Carrabine

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/11/08/news/nh3256602.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Home Pillowcase 4U Media/Contact Our Friends Millennium