In her sewing room at home, long after the school day ends, Kathy McCombs is still caring for her students. The fabric on her table isn’t part of any lesson plan, but it has become one of the most meaningful ways she supports the children she teaches at Sallie Zetterower Elementary School.

This year marks Kathy’s 38th in the classroom, 14 of which were spent in Palm Beach County, Florida. The rest have been in Bulloch County, where she teaches students with severe/profound disabilities and autism. 

Her love of making things with her hands goes back even further, a hobby which requires the same kind of patience and care so evident in her teaching. She learned how to sew when she was still young, spending hours in her grandmother’s sewing room, watching the seamstress at work. 

“My grandma had scraps of material in a box. I used to pick out fabric from the box and make things,” she said. “I have been sewing for as long as I can remember with her.”

Later, a high school home economics class helped Kathy polish her skills, and she put them to good use after becoming a mother to two sons, Ricky and Jordan.

“I used to love sewing and making costumes for my kids when they were little, but life gets busy, and I just stopped,” she said.

That all changed when COVID-19 shut everything down and the world felt uncertain. It was then that Kathy turned back to a familiar comfort — her sewing machine.

“I wanted to keep busy and began sewing tons of masks for the hospital, family and friends,” she said. “When we went back to school, I just continued sewing.”

That casual pastime soon turned into something much bigger, when she noticed a common issue in her classroom and decided to create her own solution.

“I think the frustration of putting on jackets on the kids in wheelchairs prompted me to find an alternative,” she said. “One of my student’s grandmas had made something similar, so I looked up pictures of what I wanted it to be and made a pattern.”

Essentially, they’re wheelchair blankets, designed to wrap easily over a child without the struggle of sleeves, snaps or bulky coats. Kathy buys blizzard fleece in bulk and coordinating fabric for the inside, creating covers that are both practical and fun. Blizzard fleece is a thicker, softer, more durable type of fleece that is especially warm and cozy but also lightweight. 

“I can make one in a day or two,” she said.

But it doesn’t stop there. 

“My kids in wheelchairs need to be positioned for comfort and to prevent sores, so I’ve made tons of pillows and cushions for the wheelchair,” she said. 

“One of my students had a hard time fitting into shoes, so I made her bootie slippers to wear while in class. I’ve also made shorts, mittens, hats, skirts, and even a ‘man bag’ for one of my autistic kids to carry his toys.”

Every finished piece makes its way back to the students she adores. Their joy — and comfort — mean everything.

“One of my little girls loved her skirt because when she spun, she was like a ‘princess,’” Kathy said. “And I think the families like (the blankets) because they use them on a daily basis when the weather gets colder.”

Kathy’s former husband and sons’ father, Richard, a longtime educator as well, teaches science at Statesboro High School. He has been chosen as a county-level STAR teacher numerous times and is a five-time Teacher of the Year — accolades that have made him well-known in the education community. 

While Richard’s accomplishments are celebrated publicly, behind the scenes is where Kathy is most comfortable and where much of her impact is made. She doesn’t seek attention for her work and rarely wants to be photographed. Instead, she prefers that the focus stay on her students — on their smiles, their comfort and their small victories.

For her, the awards look different, but they’re no less meaningful. 

“I think the most rewarding part is making the parents’ lives a bit easier and seeing the kids wear the stuff I make,” she said. “I just enjoy sewing, so no motivation is needed.”