Pillowcase Dresses
Imagine a world in which every little girl has the dignity of owning at least one dress.
From this idea," Dress a Girl Around the World" was born in October 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. Since then, people in 42 states and Canada have been sewing dresses from pillowcases to be distributed around the world.
A member of the First United Methodist Church of Monongahela learned of this unique ministry while visiting relatives in Arizona who attend the Scottsdale Bible Church, a large membership nondenominational community of faith. Inspired by this ministry, she enlisted the people of First UMC in Monongahela to donate pillowcases and other items needed to construct the dresses.
With the help of Mildred Carey, president of the United Methodist Women of the church and a talented and seamstress and embroiderer, enough dresses were made to organize a fashion show of pillowcase dresses, featuring the girls of the church at both worship services one Sunday, November 15, 2012. A total of 12 dresses were made, and six were modeled at each service. The fashion show peaked the interest of the congregation and the ministry was underway.
Since then, interest in the program has expanded and Mrs. Carey has held classes teaching others how to make the dresses. People of the congregation help out by donating pillowcases, material for pockets, elastic and bias tape.
Once the dresses are made, they are either taken or mailed to the Scottsdale church for distribution around the world. This past Christmas 14 dresses were taken to Scottsdale from the First United Methodist Church of Monongahela. There will be many many more to come.
As part of the Monongahela church's Congregational Ministry Plan for Renewed Vitality, the congregation will participate in this ministry for the next three years.
Who knows how many little girls around the world will be impacted with the love of Jesus through a pillowcase dress!