SKOWHEGAN, Maine — A flag store in Skowhegan has gained national attention after supporting Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war for a full year now, selling quality flags and donating proceeds in an effort to give back to those miles away.
Maine Stitching Specialties has been selling the American flag for years. The store came across the idea to offer yellow and blue flags representing Ukraine after a customer reached out to them.
"I googled it and I saw it and said, 'Yeah I guess we could make that,' and he said, 'I'll take as big of a one as you can make,'" Bill Swain, owner of Maine Stitching Specialties, said.
Shortly after, hundreds of Mainers reached out to the store also looking to demonstrate their support for the country.
"Our sales went all over the country. We were getting some from California, Oregon, Michigan ..." Swain said.
According to the store, 20 percent of proceeds from sales of the Ukraine flag are donated to World Central Kitchen to help feed refugees.
Charlene Goodridge was one of the first to make the Ukrainian flags for the store, learning just a few days after she started working there.
"We've made lots of flags ... lots," Goodridge said. "We did just over three hundred just last week."
She said sewing requires a lot of focus and attention to detail.
"Intricate, very intricate because you have stripes you have to put together," Goodridge said. "[It's] very important to hang the Ukrainian flags because we need to support them."
After a full year since Russia invaded Ukraine, the store is still filling orders, with some customers even sending their flags to family members in Ukraine.
"Here it is, we're still filling orders every day for Ukraine flags," Swain said. "We thought this war would be over long before this for sure."