KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — After a mission trip to a developing country, one North Carolina woman vowed to help children she met in Ethiopia. She found help from other women at her church to create clothing for not just kids overseas but also here in North Carolina.

What You Need To Know

  • Sandra Ward started Sew 2 Sow nine years ago

  • Ward has three grandchildren adopted from Ethiopia

  • Ward wants to build more confidence in kids

The Sew 2 Sow Ministry was started nine years ago by Sandra Ward, at the First Christian Church in Kernersville, after a mission trip to Ethiopia.

"I came and had them put a notice in the church bulletin, if there is anyone that would like to start sewing for children, please meet with me in such and such room,” Ward said.

On that day she met 12 other women wanting to take part. It’s a personal cause for Ward, as three of her grandchildren are adopted from Ethiopia.

"There’s hardly anything in my entire life that has not brought more joy and satisfaction to me personally, but it’s also true of the ladies who work in Sew 2 Sow," Ward said.

The ministry started off doing international shipments of clothing, beginning with 36 outfits to Brazil, delivered by a retired missionary couple.

"They passed them out at a church one Sunday morning and they were all just really excited," Ward said. "And that evening when they went back to evening service and every child had on their new outfit — not planned, it just happened."

So far, the group has given out more than 37,000 outfits across the world. Now, after the pandemic, they’ve started helping kids who need food and clothing in their own backyard.

"We are helping our own kids in the schools here in Forsyth County. And we just feel like we’re grandmothers to each one of those children, we just love this,” Ward said.

They create outfits from things they have brought or handmade, putting them into Forsyth County Elementary School clothing closets. 

"And we try real hard to make sure that the clothes are something that the children would love wearing, not something that great-great-grandmother would have picked out for them, but something cool they would love to have now,” Ward said.

The Sew 2 Sow Ministries helps three Forsyth County schools and is looking to help more.

If you would like to donate, call First Christian Church Ministries at 336-996-7388 and ask for Ward.