Michele and Jack Murphy, former classmates of mine from Bishop Ward High School, are long-time volunteers at Hillcrest. Mary Desko Murphy, also a former classmate and sister-in-law to Jack, told them about John Paul School in Chelekura, Uganda, the school Paul and I founded in 2005.  She went into detail about how we took "Little Dresses for Africa" with us each time we visited. Mary explained the process of making the "Little Dresses" out of pillow cases but when there aren’t pillow cases, they make them out of cotton fabric. Coincidentally, Michele volunteers in the fabric department at Hillcrest.  After hearing that story, Michele and Jack were inspired to speak with thrift shop managers, Lou and Cindy, to ask if they could use the community room to give sewing lessons, free of charge, to the public to teach them how to make these "Little Dresses for Africa".  Not only did Lou and Cindy enthusiastically agree, they also said that Hillcrest would donate the fabric, use of the community room, plus sewing machines, ironing boards and irons!!  How wonderful is that?? So on Feb. 9, 2012 Mary Desko Murphy held her first sewing class to make "Little Dresses" for the girls at John Paul School in Uganda. The classes have been very well received and are being offered every other Thursday from 1-4pm.  Thanks to all these wonderful people, we will now be able to take many more dresses with us in November!

To any of you, who live in the Kansas City area, please stop in the Hillcrest Thrift Shop? Ask for Cindy or Lou, and personally thank them for their generosity and support of this worthy project.  And, any of you that like to sew, you might want to stop in on Thursday......I'm sure Mary or Michele would love to meet you and teach you how to make the dresses.   And be sure to thank them, as well, for all they are doing to help the children at John Paul School.

God Bless everyone involved in this wonderful project! Couldn't do it without you!!

    Nancy & Paul Berrigan