Ames Middle School to Make Dresses for African Orphans

By Kathy Hanson

Director Ames Schools Community and Media Relations

A Leadership Ames Class XXVI community service project team is hosting a Fabric Drive to collect cotton blend fabrics for Ames Middle School students to use during their Family & Consumer Sciences classes. The eighth graders are learning to sew and they use the fabrics to make pillowcase dresses for orphans in Africa.

During April, the students will be making dresses for the Little Dresses for Africa charity. The project is one way students are “paying it forward “ for more than $3,000 the Leadership Ames team helped them raise for new sewing machines. The Middle School students made thousands of cupcakes, which the Leadership Ames team sold to raise the money.

You may donate unused fabric, thread, bias tape and decorative trims, as well as cash donations for shipping the dresses abroad, by bringing items to Ames Middle School, 3915 Mortensen Rd, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., March 25 through 29. For fabric questions or to volunteer for intergenerational sewing events where the dresses will be constructed, please contact Carol VanWaardhuizen at Ames Middle School, carol.vanwaardhuizen@ames.k12.ia.us.