Dressmakers of Laguna Presbyterian Church sent 147 dresses to Holt International Adoption Agency, whose directors delivered the dresses to Vietnam and Haiti.
Join the dressmakers on Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m. to sew dresses or pick up kits to sew at home. They are at work on dresses and shorts for the East African Partnership missionary group, which will pack them for an African orphanage visit in October.
The dresses and shorts will be on display at the church’s Tankersley Hall at a pancake breakfast on Sept. 11. Tickets $5 per adult , kids under 10 free or $20 maximum per family.
In Vietnam, the agency identified girls of families most in need and distributed the dresses to their homes, said Holt administrative coordinator Cheryl Marshall. All of the girls were extremely excited and received two dresses each, she said. The first child to pick a dress grabbed one with a small stuffed animal in the pocket. She squealed when she saw it and immediately began cuddling the toy.
In Haiti the girls were beyond delighted with the dresses, nicer than their Sunday best. The staff selected dresses for the girls to avoid arguments. Dresses with pockets and attached necklaces were especially popular.
To LB Indy:
I wanted to share with you how much I appreciated this article about the dressmaker’s of Laguna Beach Presbyterian Church. I was very ‘touched’ as I was a Korean orphan in S.Korea and lived in an orphanage until I was 8yrs old, and I was remembering never having a pretty dress of my own to wear. I had to wear whatever was in the closet that fit me-often very mismatched hand-me-downs. I lived in OC for 20yrs and didn’t know that the Laguna Presbyterian church did such a wonderful thing for the orphans around the world in Holt’s care. It is because of Holt that I was BLESSED to be adopted at 8yrs old and after over 20years in Corp American, as of this month, I now also WORK for Holt. I hope to ‘give back’ and help the world’s orphans (as I was helped) in my small way.
I also forwarded your article to the CEO of Holt.
Please extend my SINCERE Thanks to the Laguna Presbyterian Church.
Kindest Regards,
MeeSun Boice