The 4-H Club of Polk County announced recently that the Baby Lock Sewing Company of Fenton, Miss., had donated 10 “Anna” model sewing machines and an “Imagine” model serger to the 4-H club.

Helen Clark received notice of the donation from Steven Jeffery at Baby Lock, and the machines were delivered to the 4-H building in Columbus. In response to the notification, Clark said that she deeply appreciated the efforts and generosity of private organizations such as the Baby Lock Sewing Company.

“The generosity of companies such as Baby Lock makes a real difference in Polk County as we struggle to provide quality pubic services with very limited resources. This donation will be most helpful as we continue to provide sewing programs to help meet the needs of the Polk County citizens,” Clark said.

The arrival of the machines caused great excitement among the participants in the 4-Club after school sewing program. Composed of youths aged 9 to 18 in Polk County, the sewing program provides opportunities for the youth of the community to learn life skills in general, and sewing construction in particular.

The 4-H club activities are administered by the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service. The club was established more than 25 years ago to offer opportunities for the youth of the community. Clark has been responsible for oversight of the program for the past 11 years and relies heavily upon adult volunteers for its success. The program always has more applicants than can be accommodated and not one child has dropped out of the program during Clark’s tenure.

In addition to 4-H members, the extension service also serves the Teen Living class of the Polk County High School. The students come to the 4-H building to use the sewing machines, since the high school does not have any sewing machines.

The Baby Lock Sewing Machine Company is a division of the Tacony Corporation and has been manufacturing sergers and sewing machines for more than 30 years. Marietta’s Quilt and Sew, the authorized Baby Lock dealer in Simpsonville, S.C., will provide any advanced maintenance the machines may need.