Loomis, Calif. – Soroptimist International of Loomis Basin (SILB) is making a difference by sewing dresses to be distributed to girls in the United States and around the world.
The club’s goal is to sew and engage others in the community to help complete 300 dresses by March 31, 2018. The project is part of an effort organized by the Sierra Nevada region of Soroptimist; the region’s mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. The simple dress takes about an hour to make and the club is supplying the materials.
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At the September 20th meeting of the Loomis Soroptmist Club, guest speaker, Sharon Miranda, Northern California Ambassador of Dress a Girl Around the World, explained that the pretty, unique dresses give the girls in orphanages dignity. “The dresses decrease the chance of the girls being mistreated in the community or becoming victims of sex trafficking because the new dress shows that someone cares for them,” said Miranda. The organization started in 2009 with “pillow-case” dresses and the northern California office has distributed over 30,000 dresses and the United States has sent 600,000 dresses to poverty stricken areas in this country and abroad.
Carol Pepper-Kittredge, Statewide Project Manager CCC Maker, housed at Sierra College, was also a guest speaker. Pepper-Kittredge has arranged for the Soroptimist club to hold a community meet-up in the sewing lab at Hacker Lab Powered by Sierra College in Rocklin on November 11. “Sierra College is not just about preparing students with skills to achieve in their careers,” said Pepper-Kittredge. “We engage students in service projects so they learn how to give back to the community. We are delighted that students can get involved and Hacker Lab’s makerspace with Juki, Serger and Bernina sewing machines can support this project.”
Individuals and groups can participate in this project by contacting Debi Schneider, President, Soroptimist International of Loomis Basin at (916)749-8680. The club can provide materials and instructions for those who want to make the dresses at home. Contact Debi if you’d like to make a dress, attend an upcoming sewing meet-up or if you’d like to host one for your group to support this project.
About Soroptimist International Loomis Basin
Soroptimist (soroptimist.org) is an international volunteer service organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. Soroptimist International of Loomis Basin is a 501(c)(3) organization.
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