About a month ago, Bruce Heyman, owner of Fabricland in North Plainfield, New Jersey , received an interesting e-mail from the organization called "AdoptaPlatoon". This non-profit Texas-based group -- which is managed by volunteers mothers in about 20 states --was seeking fabric donations so its volunteers could sew small travel pillows for soldiers serving in Iraq. The group, which provides morale-lifting care-packages and mail, said that the deployed soldiers usually had no pillows and needed comfortable , soft ones to keep in their backpacks. Deemed "Operation Sweet Dreams", AdoptaPlatoon volunteers began sewing pillows that featured a pocket for picture and letters. Their e-mail requesting fabric came to Fabricland came at just the right time!

" Every Labor Day Weekend for the past five years, we hold a Fabric Trade-In, " cites Heyman. "Customers bring me their unused remnants and pieces and I pay them 50 cents per pound. All the fabrics received are then donated to local charities. It's a total 'win/win' situation " .This year, Heyman estimated that his customers brought back over 8,000 pounds of fabric.

When Isaac Prince Jr, manager of Fabricland's warehouse, packed up the AdoptaPlatoon fabric donations earmarked f or "Operation Sweet Dreams" , it stirred his patriotic feelings and made him feel proud that these boxes were going to an excellent cause. "Our men and women serving in Iraq need to be remembered and supported. It is our pleasure to provide this small token of comfort for those who serve our country."