Day 21: Dressing a Princess

One of the best things about working for Carswell is the people I get to serve. One such treasure is Steve, one of my Alberta librarians.

We met up in Edmonton, where both of us had business, and decided to go for Indian food. And as we ate, Steve told me about his wife Carol's latest dream and how it's become a reality.

Steve has told me quite a bit about Carol in the time that I have known him, to the point that I feel I almost know her too. To the point that I really, really want to know her! Steve is clearly crazy about her and so proud of what she's doing.

Carol is an advocate for Compassion Canada; and as such, she heard a story that changed her world. She was told of a little girl who wanted a new dress. She'd never had a new dress. Her family promised her that if she would marry the nice man, she would get a new dress. And so she did.

She was a little girl. He was 70.

When Carol heard that story, her heart was shattered.  She resolved that if there was anything in her power that she could do, she would do it so that no little girls would ever have to be sold for a dress.

Carol is a master dressmaker. She found some old gowns that she would never wear again, bridesmaid dresses, prom dresses, dresses with beautiful fabric. She set about taking these dresses apart and using the fabric to create beautiful new dresses for little girls who would otherwise never have anything like this to call their own.

And Destiny Dresses was born.

Destiny Dresses is on Facebook, and here is its mission statement:

Mission Statement for Destiny Dresses

Destiny Dresses seeks to demonstrate the extravagance of God's love and grace and beauty by providing the poorest little girls in the world with beautiful dresses in Jesus' name. These remade dresses are gifts sewn by volunteer dressmakers from donations of wedding dresses, graduation dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and other special dresses from the closets of women who care enough to donate to this cause.

The dressmakers of Destiny Dresses also remake other gently used articles of clothing into everyday clothes for boys and girls in great need.

The dressmakers of Destiny Dresses are a network of volunteers, working with donations of clothing, fabric, buttons, lace, and thread. They sew with excellence and purpose because they believe that children are precious, that they reflect the image of God, and that they have a future and a hope through Jesus Christ.
 
The distribution of dresses and other remade clothing by Destiny Dresses is conducted by various means following ethical practices to ensure that no dress or other clothing is used to lure, entice, or in any way harm a child or any other person.
 

Carol and her little band of dressmakers have seen their dresses bless girls in Brasil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Peru and Zambia.
 
Have you got any dresses with beautiful fabric that you loved once but you know in your heart will never again see the light of day? (I can think of several in my closet ...)
 

I'll be heading up north to Athabasca in a few months, and I would love to meet Carol for the first time with an armful of dresses! If any of you would like to send a dress, or some buttons or lace, please let me know. I'm in Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton and regions beyond, and I would be overjoyed to pick up your contributions. Or if you're planning a visit to the TH, please feel free to bring them there.

 

Just think: our old dresses could have a date with destiny! Even more important, it could change the destiny of some beautiful little girl with dreams in her heart of a dress fit for a princess.

 
A princess just like her.



Please note: All pictures, as well as Destiny Dresses logo, are from the Destiny Dresses page on Facebook, and have been taken and posted by either Carol or Alison Schafer.