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Introduction |
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What is the need? |
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Patterns |
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Fabrics |
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Sewing tips |
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Finishing Touches |
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Recipients |
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Organizations |
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Dressmakers |
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Photos |
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But I don't sew very well! |
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Getting Started |
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How to contact us |
Thanks from distributing organizationsThe following quotations are from letters written by a wide variety of social service organizations that have distributed clothing made by One Dress at a Time volunteers. We don't usually get letters back about the dresses, but when we do...!“It is with our most heartfelt appreciation that we thank you for your beautiful and generous gift of complete outfits (dresses) for our students. These dresses were beautifully made and extra special with the accessories you added. The need for children's clothing is great at [our] school. As an inner city school district we serve approximately 2300 children of which 92% reside in families living in poverty.” “We can assure you that these dresses made the recipients very happy and for most [are] the only new outfit they have ever had.” “I would like to extend heartfelt thanks for your generous donation of clothes for the children. It is because of people like you that we are able to provide the much needed services for children who are subject to abuse, neglect and/or abandonment.“ “I thought you might enjoy knowing a little bit about who received these special presents. Our social worker gave the dresses to a family with seven children from the ages of 1-9 years, four of whom are girls. ... Needless to say, the clothes were much needed and greatly appreciated.” “I plan to bring all the wonderful clothing out for them on our self-esteem class that is taught each Monday. I can not wait to see their faces when they see all that you made for them.” “I must admit it was a difficult process in selecting which children should receive the clothing. It is not often that these children receive home made items and I can assure you that it was greatly appreciated.” “Of these [children in poverty] no less than 39% are from single parent homes and providing for their families through the Aid to Dependent Children Program which means a family of four lives on approximately $4992.00 per year. Meeting the needs of raising a family on their yearly income makes it next to impossible to provide the extras, clothing and shoes. We provide a used clothing bank and a new shoe bank for the students and families living in our community. We also participate in a number of programs and with various agencies to help our families meet the needs of their children. New clothing is not something we receive a lot of so it is very special for us but more importantly it will be special to the children who receive the outfits and special items that go along with each one.” “Big smiles and wide eyes! Those are just two of the expressions on the faces of the students who have received the adorable outfits you made. ... Many of our students have never had anything so nice.” “The adorable dresses and donated T-shirts will thrill some little people at ‘Head Start’ - or anywhere for that matter.” “We are so very fortunate! We were given two of your beautiful dresses. Two of our 22 children get to start school Monday wearing the dress you made.” “With your generosity, I was able to provide 6 children with new outfits for the first day of school. The first day of school can be such a scary experience, especially for the first grade students. You have made it possible for these children to go to school with pride.” “ I can not explain the glow on the girls’ faces when they received their gift.” “The pleasure you have given to many little girls will last for a long, long time - and in addition to pleasure these little girls will be given a new self confidence in knowing that they look new and pretty in their new attire.” “Each year as a new school session begins students wait with anticipation for all that is unknown, new classrooms, new teachers and hopefully new clothes. For too many of ‘our’ children the hope for a new dress is just a dream. Because of your commitment ‘our’ children will be no different than any other, wearing a new dress handmade with love.” “The children were so excited to receive [the] outfits and they were all anxious to find the special occasion to wear them. It was a real pleasure for me to deliver the outfits to the children and see the joy on their faces.” “We plan to give a few to our Early Intervention Unit which supports families with our toddlers and then the others will be saved for our annual Adopt-a-Family program. We always have families who will not be sponsored and we try to put together gifts for the children in those families. These dresses will be such a special gift for a young girl.” “Surveys of our schools show that 83-97 % of the students are eligible for the free/reduced lunch program. This is an indication of the poverty level of the families and gives you an idea of how difficult it is for our families.” “I want to thank you so much for the two outfits that you gave to my students. It was a hard decision to decide who should receive them. ... It really made the girls’ day when they were given these outfits. The parents are also so thankful.” “Our little girls wore smiles as pretty as the dresses on the day they came to school modeling their new dresses. They were so pleased.” “I am writing to thank you in behalf of the six little girls who won the beautiful dresses and accessories that you made.. We have a reading program at our school, and I chose the first grade girls who had the most hours in the club.” “As you know, many of our families suffer severe financial strain due to the cost of raising developmentally disabled children. You have helped relieve some of that strain and made many people happy.” “The dresses will be used as behaviour and grade incentives and will no doubt become valued treasures. The detail you have added demonstrates your care and concern for girls living in poverty and we thank you for your time and materials. As the girls earn these new dresses with accessories, they will build their self-confidence as they improve their academic performance.” “Today I had the opportunity to volunteer at an Elementary School in [community]. I volunteer there once a month. There is a 2nd grade girl in my class who lives in a single parent familiy along with her 2 younger sisters. I had spoken with the teacher and learned that these girls have never had a dress, let alone a new and handmade one. So I wrapped up three dresses and took them to class. After my classtime, I took [name] aside and let her know that when I woke up this morning these three packages had been left on my doorstep. They had her name and her 2 sisters’ names on them. She was so excited!” “Thank you so much for the wonderful donation of girls’ dresses and accessories. So many of the young children here... have nothing but the clothes on their backs when they first come to the shelter and it means so much to them to receive items like you donated. I know that those dresses will put a smile on the face of many little girls at the shelter.” |
| "All the sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action." - James Russell Lowell |