Moonwishes Sewing and Crafts

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Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Needing Donations of Embroidery Supplies for Congo Women


Since I started our pattern business, Moonwishes Sewing and Crafts, my heart has gone out to third world women that do not have the resources like we do to improve their lives and have respectable ways of earning a living to support their families. We have been donating 10% of our profits towards helping these women. One of the projects that we help support is one in the Congo, by way of Carma Nelson who has served as a Christian and Missionary Alliance missionary there for many years. While she is no longer assigned to Congo, she still helps coordinate this small project. This is a grass roots project that started maybe 6 years ago that I have helped when I can.

There is a lady in the Congo that is knowledgeable in embroidery who teaches the other women, who then can sell what they make to help support themselves. To help her and her students out, I have been sending packages of embroidery supplies; embroidery floss, embroidery fabric, hoops, needles and books and booklets on embroidery over the past few years.

At this point I’m asking for your help as well if this strikes a chord in your heart as well. The teacher needs more 6-strand cotton thread/floss especially in pinks and browns but any color would help. Also I’m sure that embroidery needles for hand embroidery and embroidery fabric would help, even those little embroidery scissors so each woman can have her own pair for when she works at her own home. If you used to do embroidery and gave up on a project and still have the floss, we can use it. Not sure if you should send a tangled bunch of floss. Sure go ahead. David loves untangling when he is resting as do I. So don’t let things like that go to waste, and you can feel good about recycling and helping others directly. Any embroidery supplies you may have but no longer plan to use are welcome. Put them to work in the hands of women that can earn a living by using them. If you live in the North East, PA area and can drop any donations off at my house, I would appreciate it as would Carma and the ladies in the Congo. If you aren’t close by but would like to help, You can mail me the supplies (please email me at gailete@hotmail.com for my address). Or you can make a donation of cash by way of https://paypal.me/GailRodgers to the project and I will buy the supplies with my trusty shopping helper, Steve. I want to send the parcel to Carma by way of her mother on Monday, November 16, 2015. If you don’t have time to get something out by then, no worries. I constantly collect for this project and then send the supplies when Carma lets me know that we should have transport of them to the Congo. Their mail service can’t be used as it isn’t trustworthy.

This is not an official charity, so I can’t send out receipts for tax purposes. I have found that I like donating to a project where I know every penny or thread strand will get to where it can be used and this is the case here. 100% of all donations will be sent as supplies to the Congo.

Thank you so much for your support for this worthwhile project.
 
 

2 comments:

Becki @ the beach said...

This sounds like a wonderful cause. Any chance there is a link to see what they're making , where they sell their finished products??

Moonwishes said...

Hi Becki and thanks for stopping in. This is a small program that my missionary friend started several years ago with her native friend that knew how to embroider. This is the third box I have sent out to them by way of the missionary's relatives since packages going straight to the Congo would shall we say never get there. I've never even seen what they have done of who they sell their products to, but I did get a photo of Honorine the teacher holding some of the first items I sent and her grin was so huge, to finally have enough supplies to go around. (unfortunately I can't find that photo currently) I will ask Carma my friend, if she has any more photos or information about where the ladies sell their goods.

I have been selling sewing patterns on line now for about 10 years and I have tried to always give 10% of my income from it to programs that involve sewing with women in third world countries. Sewing and making things are some of the few ways these ladies, no matter what country, have in earning an income instead of prostitution which involves health risks besides the personal shame that comes about. We women in so called 'first' world countries should all try to do what we can to help women wherever we see the need, as I think that will bring about more real peace in the world than anything else.

Again thanks for stopping in and commenting and I will email Carma about your questions.