Missionaries display pillowcase dresses made for Third World countries
Union Baptist displays dresses on Thursday, April, 28, that will be donated to Third World countries.
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
FOR THE CHRONICLE
Many churches donate clothing to the needy all the time. However, Union Baptist Church on North Trade Street has found a unique way to make an impact in the lives of underprivileged children.
The missionaries of Union Baptist decided to make dresses out of pillow cases for young girls of Third World countries and disaster ridden areas.
The church chose to take on this task after attending a Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention and receiving a challenge from lead pastor Bishop Sir Walter Mack Jr. to find a project while there and bring it back to the church.
According to church member Helen Harris, she connected with the Women in Service Everywhere (W.I.S.E), part of the Lott Carey Convention, because they have been making the pillowcase dresses to send overseas for years.
W.I.S.E. initially started sending dresses to Haiti after the devastating earthquake of 2010. The dresses are going to be delivered to children in Haiti, Kenya, and the Sudan, and the total number looks to exceed 300.
“We are just glad that we can be a blessing to those who are a blessing to us,” said Harris. “The Lord said suffer little children to come unto me and to clothe the naked, so we are just doing the commandment of God. And the pastor is behind us 100 percent.”
Harris went on to say, “We want them to feel motivated and empowered to have something new. We also want them to feel safe in their environment by being clothed.”
Members of the church donated the pillowcases for the missionaries to sew and donated undergarments for the young girls to wear along with the dresses.
“We are blessed to have a pastor who believes in helping,” said Minister Denise Wade. “He believes that if you’re not a church that reaches out to others you don’t really have a purpose. He has actually gone to a Third World country and seen the devastation and substandard homes, so he had a heart to help.”
The missionaries have been working on the dresses since March and once their goal of 300 or more is met, they will be sending them to the communities in need.
