SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — May is a month of honoring our armed forces. It's Military Appreciation Month, and a time to recognize Memorial Day and Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which are important reminders of the daily sacrifices our military and their families make on behalf of our country. 

Brenna Rivers works on turning an old Marine Band uniform into a bag

The military community extends beyond those who are directly serving in the armed forces to those who are dedicated to making sure military families know they're not alone.

While neither Brenna Rivers or Ian Smith chose to enlist and serve, as countless members of their families have done, they've found their own unique way to give back and show their appreciation for the daily sacrifices they know all too well.

A Riveter works with a donated USMC uniform in the heirloom program

“I've been moving back and forth up until I was 9 years old,” Rivers said. “Starting over every time, and not being able to have a foundation of people because you had to move so much.”

The longing for support goes beyond our servicemen and women and extends to their spouses and their children, who often need that stability and foundation of community.

“Coming from a military family background myself, you definitely have to have those kinds of people, whether it's in the military community, or just knowing how strong your own family has to be,” Smith said. 

Thomas Hinton served in the National Guard, but once he had served his time, he found a passion creating custom pieces in the Heirloom Program with R Riveter alongside Rivers in the flagship storefront in Southern Pines. 

“The Heirloom Program is absolutely my favorite thing to actually get to make stuff for somebody," Hinton said. “Sometimes people, they don't even get in here for the interviews without crying. Sometimes they don't even get their bag without crying, so there's a lot of emotion tied up in it.”

Thomas Hinton works on a Marine Corps uniform at R Riveter

For all three of them, nothing beats the stories that come with each piece of fabric that enters the shop, even if they are taking it apart to give it new life and honor. 

“It's such a sentimental form of bringing in your own personal material, turning that into something you can carry with you rather than shoving it in a closet to collect dust,” Smith said. 

Every stitch and seam holds irreplaceable memories that can be preserved as a legacy of service for generations to come. 

“You're having many different hands actually form this one piece, so if you're having three, four, five people putting love into one bag, you're actually carrying that support for those five families too,” Smith said. 

“I'm not in the military, but I still have that connection and support. This is like a small way of giving back in my own special way,” Rivers said.