Made With Love

       The greatest gift in life is being able to answer someone else’s prayers while following your dreams. This is the story of two mothers from El Dorado Hills who share a beautiful friendship as well as a passion for making the world a better place.

       Valerie Richards and Rae Zarghami were working in their community library when the non-profit Dress-A-Girl came to teach children how to fashion dresses out of pillowcases. It may not seem possible to make an attractive dress out of a pillowcase, but this group’s work will quickly prove you wrong. It was Dress-A-Girl that inspired Valerie and Rae to begin a similar non-profit and take it to their home church, Rolling Hills Christian Church. Their dream was to create dresses out of pillowcases, and to send these dresses with their church missionaries to countries all around the world. This new organization was born quickly and appropriately named, “Made With Love.”

       A co-creator Valerie Richards agreed that, “Made With Love,” has gone far beyond what her and her partner had imagined, and they wish to learn and grow even more. After starting their non-profit in 2010, they began to make backpacks along with dresses and their ministry continued to grow exponentially. Every new year they make on average about 600 more dresses and in this fourth year they expect 4,000. So far missionaries have taken these dresses and backpacks to Africa, Honduras, India, Poland, Mexico and others.

       Kristiana Zarghami, a missionary who took these dresses to Uganda experienced the immense joy that just one dress could give these girls. Zarghami said the girls light up as the dresses are given to them, “they wanted to wear it right away, they would take the dress and hold it up to themselves to see how it would fit. They would make us take pictures of them with their new dresses.” For the rest of Zarghami’s stay she did not see the girls in anything else but their new dress. These girls have never had anything new, that they could originally call theirs. Now, they had a nice outfit and they were going to proudly wear it everyday.

     “Made With Love,” is not only making a difference overseas but they are also answering prayers in their community. The non-profit itself gives those who don’t have the means to go overseas an opportunity to make a difference. Men and women from age five to age eighty-five are involved in this group. It is a great bonus if you know how to sew, but the ministry also involves pinning, ironing, and cutting, for those who can't sew. A man named Justin who has been with Made With Love from the beginning started with ironing, upgraded to pinning and he has now learned to sew! Every part of the process is beautifully important, and every skill is needed. After a dress or backpack is made, a celebratory ring is sounded and the group claps in excitement for one more child who will be blessed.

       Made With Love cultivates a family-oriented love and fellowship that spreads through the church into the community. Children in neighboring towns are blessed as pillowcase dresses, food, and donated clothing are given out to orphanages as well as other church ministries. Girl Scouts have even visited group events to learn the art of sewing and achieve their badge. Lastly, many missionaries and students from Rolling Hills youth group attend dress events to experience the behind the scenes love that they bring overseas. Made With Love encourages this holistic development of serving and it beautifully effects anyone with connection to the group.

       Somewhere in the process of fashioning these dresses, a confident hope will arise from the heart of the maker. This feeling of fortitude can momentarily make any other feeling inferior. This was the case of avid Made With Love sewer, Kelly Wheeler. Wheeler had a long battle with breast cancer that spread quickly in her ending days; one thing that kept her going was the rich power of hope that her hands warmed with while making a dress. Although she could not physically make the dress events she did her part at home, contributing many beautiful dresses that were truly made with love. Wheeler was and is an inspiration to the group, her memory and strength push the group to stay joyful and keep blessing others in the face of adversity.

       All this beauty started with two women who had a dream. Often called Valeray for their great partnership and subtle bickering which resembles an old married couple, these leaders are truly a dynamic duo. Rae is gifted in the business side, while Valerie is more involved with the sewing process. The two couldn’t be more happy with their group of serving women and men. The dedication of this group is something to see, because it already has and will continue to take Made With Love to higher places. Valeray’s intention when starting this group was to be the hands and feet of Jesus, serving others as though they were serving the Lord Himself. Anyone can tell you that Made With Love does this well, from the people who donate pillowcases one mile away to the people who receive dresses millions of miles away, they serve the Lord and His people with love and grace.

 

“I needed clothes and you clothed me.” Matthew 25:36