Pillowcase Dresses for Dignity -- Program Soroptimist International of Fort Collins members have long been hearing and reading information regarding the need for appropriate clothing in the fight against domestic violence around the globe. We were told that “Young girls are less apt to be raped when wearing dresses; Dresses indicate a level of status and thus security.” In response, members constructed pillowcase dresses for girls in Haiti (February 2011) and were then contacted in 2012 about the possibility of producing more dresses--this time for little girls in Vietnam. One of our active members, binh rybacki, is founder and Executive Director of Children of Peace International. She is ultimately responsible for many girls in the orphanages and schools she supervises. SI Fort Collins has risen to meet COPI’s needs for medicine, vitamins, scarves and mittens (for women and girls in Vietnam) over the last 10 years. We decided to again rise to help in a small way, to contribute to the dignity of “binh’s” girls. We asked our members to collect clean, usable pillowcases and trim from their linen and sewing closets. We also set aside $50 from service funds to purchase additional fabric and trip. A committee was formed and a “5th Tuesday” get together was planned for those members interested in crafting the dresses. Members were asked to invite friends, bring portable sewing machines and contribute munchies for an evening workshop. Seven members and one guest attended. In approx. 2 hours, our group had lovingly crafted 14 pillowcase dresses for girls in COPI’s Good Shepard orphanage. They were bright, they were colorful, they were accented with ribbons and trims. One member took it upon herself to sew tiny bows and roses to the neck of each dress. We gave binh the dresses to take to Vietnam with her on her next trip. Pictures came back showing the JOY of Soroptimist, and the pride in the eyes of the few girls we were able to help. We shared our pattern and understand that some of Children of Peace’s girls will actually be making their own dresses during self-sufficiency classes. And, our members celebrated the great feeling of putting their hearts and hands into something so successful. There is a side-note to this summary that we only recently discovered. Binh reported at a recent meeting that the teen girls in her orphanages have been asking why dresses were only made for school age girls. They love the dresses and have been wearing them over their T-shirts and pants--feeling special and stylish. Binh added, “We’ve been working hard to teach the girls that their appearance matters as much as their assertiveness. These girls assertively let us know that they care about their appearance and are willing to do what they can (with what they have) to make more pillowcase dresses.” SI FC is looking forward to sharing our pattern with other Soroptimist clubs--and making more dresses to provide increased dignity. That’s what it’s all about: improving the lives of girls, locally and around the world. Looking for the Joy of Soroptimist? Share friendships and refreshments while making pillowcase dresses For Girls in Vietnam 6:30 pm Tuesday, May 29th Basement of Home State Bank 303 E. Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins Page 1/2 Pillowcase Dresses for Dignity -- Program Above: An invitation to join SI FC in the Joy of Soroptimist Below: Good Shepard girls, in Vietnam, model their pillowcase dresses. An assortment of the final projects, Adding the trim, Assembling and adding roses Page 2/2