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Sewn with love By Bridgett Hernandez
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A package containing 126 colorful dresses is making a 10,000-mile journey – from a sewing room in Fort Wayne to an orphanage in Uganda. Over the course of a year, Martha Hatch, a retiree living in Fort Wayne, has spent hours sewing dresses for little girls who she might never meet. She first learned of the orphanage’s need for clothing about five years ago. Since then, she has been volunteering her time, talent and own money to the charitable cause. A helping hand
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Last year, Hatch applied for a grant from
the Fort Wayne branch of the American Association of University Women to help fund the annual project. She had never applied for a grant before but she thought she’d give it a shot. Hatch didn’t get the grant because it wasn’t a local project, but the board of trustees still wanted to support her project, said board member Martha Weatherford. “We liked the idea for her project, but she didn’t fit the guidelines, so we just decided we would support her at our spring brunch in May,” she said. Members gathered fabric from their stashes at home and bought fabric and ribbon to help. The group donated six
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tribute to World War I veterans who died while serving. Page 8-9
Feders acquires Albright’s deli locations A Huntertown business recently took its expertise to two Fort Wayne locations, venturing into the world of retail. Huntertown’s family-owned Feders Meats, which — at its inception in 2002 — specialized in wild-game processing, has since added catering and a food truck to its operations. Earlier this year, it added two retail delis to the mix, including Albright’s Meats and Deli on Maplecrest Road. About ten months ago, Feders owner John Federspiel was approached about taking ownership of Fort Wayne’s Albright’s Meats
and Deli. On Monday, Feb. 26, the Federspiel family made Albright’s its home. “The Federspiels here have a huge advantage over anybody else. They can own this operation because they all know how to cut meat. … They’re all hard workers, too,” previous owner Lee Albright said. Albright and his wife, Karen, are getting out of the deli business to pursue another venture — Albright’s All Natural Raw Dog Food, which can be found at various locations in Fort Wayne. Having become familiar with Feders’ name and reputation in the Fort Wayne area and a retail
shop it previously operated in Woodburn, Albright knew right off the bat that turning things over to Feders meant his business would be in good hands. “It wasn’t for sale. He wasn’t going to put it on the market or anything, at least at that point, and he called me and we decided to meet and kind of clicked right from the beginning,” Federspiel said. “Huntertown is totally custom — wild game and beef and hogs — and this is a totally different speed. I think both of them are really going to complement each other.” Despite the big change See FEDERS, Page A13
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shopping bags of fabric and sewing supplies and $141 to Hatch for her project. The dresses are simple – a cotton shift with an adjustable drawstring ribbon neckline – and colorful with bright patterns ranging from flowers to flamingos. Now the dresses are ready to make the long journey from Hatch’s sewing room in Fort Wayne to missionaries in Texas who will travel with the dresses to the orphanage in Uganda. A common thread
Weatherford described Hatch as a “sewing dynamo” with a servant’s heart. “I think her whole life has been one of service,” she said. Hatch retired from a career in human resources at Dana Incorporated. These days, she’s more active than ever between
PHOTO BY BRIDGETT HERNANDEZ
Martha Hatch, of Fort Wayne, sewed 126 dresses for girls at an orphanage in Uganda. This year, members of the Fort Wayne branch of American Association of University Women donated fabric and money to support Hatch’s annual project.
her gig as a substitute teacher, helping out at her church, St. John Missionary Baptist, spending time with her family and admittedly more hobbies than she has enough time for. She also quietly completed a large volume
of charitable work: care bags for cancer patients, blankets for children in foster care, bibs and birth cloths for military families, and nightgowns and pajamas for nursing home residents just to See SEWN, Page A13