Healing Stitches
The women in the Sewing Ministry have historically come together to quilt and craft. Recently the ministry expanded and now makes and distributes three items in partnership with other organizations, both locally and globally:
- quilts for cancer patients and those confined to home or a long-term care facility;
- sanitary products for girls at Lapishe Primary School, in Mpumalanga, South Africa;
- bereavement garments for perinatal demise in partnership with Virtua Hospital in southern New Jersey. The gowns are made from donated wedding gowns; however, other appropriate attire is accepted. the Sewing Ministry has been recognized for it's service by Virtua Hospital;
- mats for the homeless; and
- Masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Thank you!
Thank you for all who support this ministry. You make an difference in the lives of others.
Ministry to the Women and Girls
Do you know that in parts of Africa girls routinely miss a week of school because they are unable to buy sanitary napkins? In some cases, the girls are then suspended from school because of missing too many days. The Sewing Ministry of Magnolia Road United Methodist Church has historically made sanitary napkins for women and girls in Kenya. In 2016, we partnered with Sediba Inc., to make sanitary products for girls in in a rural community in South Africa. With contributions from Chatham UMW, the Capital District UMW, we sent pads to Lapishe Primary School, in Mpumalanga, South Africa and Orlando Children's Home in Johannesburg.
In July 2017, Pastor Vanessa traveled to South Africa on a cross-cultural trip with Drew Theological School. As both a pastor and a student, she was blessed to live in the intersection of two dynamic spaces. She selected South Africa for a cross-cultural experience for several reasons; one major reason is that our congregation has partnered with Sediba, Inc. to provide sanitary and school supplies to two institutions in South Africa. This trip gave her the opportunity to personally take those products to South Africa. She took approximately 50 pounds of sanitary and school products, as well as clothes for Lapishe Primary School in Mpumalanga. We partnered with other congregations to achieve our goal. In October of 2018, we sent more supplies and recently in October 2019 more sanitary products were sent to Lapishe School.
In July 2017, Pastor Vanessa traveled to South Africa on a cross-cultural trip with Drew Theological School. As both a pastor and a student, she was blessed to live in the intersection of two dynamic spaces. She selected South Africa for a cross-cultural experience for several reasons; one major reason is that our congregation has partnered with Sediba, Inc. to provide sanitary and school supplies to two institutions in South Africa. This trip gave her the opportunity to personally take those products to South Africa. She took approximately 50 pounds of sanitary and school products, as well as clothes for Lapishe Primary School in Mpumalanga. We partnered with other congregations to achieve our goal. In October of 2018, we sent more supplies and recently in October 2019 more sanitary products were sent to Lapishe School.
Angel Wings
In 2016, the Magnolia Road Sewing Ministry partnered with Virtua Hospital to make bereavement garment for use with perinatal death and stillborn infants. The garments are made from donated wedding gowns. Historically, if a woman lost a baby she did not have the opportunity to see the body of the infant. Now the trend is changing. This is particularly important for women who are grieving the loss of a pregnancy from conception through week twenty. Prior to week sixteen the infant cannot be presented to the mother because of the condition of the tissue; however, at week sixteen the fetus is sufficiently developed to be recognized as a baby. After the twentieth week, the law mandates a burial. The gowns and pouches that are made vary in size from a hand-sized pouch to a twelve-inch gown. Each gown is designed by Faith Parrott, who is one of the leaders of the project. After the garments is completed, they are blessed and then sent to Virtua for distribution. This ministry helps women and their family members with the grieving and healing.