Virginia: Stitching Together Hope
Eight years ago, Virginia heard about the sewing studio at Gospel Village.
“I taught at West Area Adult School for years,” she says. “I’m also a seamstress, so I came to see what it was about. That was eight years ago—and I’m hooked!”
The studio hums with laughter, music, and the sound of sewing machines. “I enjoy coming here because there’s camaraderie,” Virginia says. “There’s fellowship, love, and creativity. Everyone makes you feel welcome.”
Most days, she sorts through fabric, cutting, folding, and organizing. “I’m a very organized person,” she admits with a grin. “For them to be able to find fabric for their next project—it just makes it easier. That’s how I can be most helpful.”
She’s watched confidence grow stitch by stitch. “They become more confident,” she says. “They have pride because they’ve accomplished something. They beam when someone says, ‘Oh, I love your dress!’ and they can say, ‘I made this.’”
For Virginia, it feels like teaching again. “After 36 years of teaching, you never forget that joy of the light bulb moment,” she says. “It’s the same thing here. When their item sells, and they say, ‘Ooh, I just sold one more! Let me make another.’ That’s the joy.”
Every week, she comes back for the same reason: love. “It’s fellowship and friendship and love,” she says. “It keeps me coming back.”
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