bernadette

One thing I've learned since establishing Change the Truth is that there are so many people who have huge hearts and who want to help. I have been blown away many, many times... by a high school student who approaches me after a presentation to say she wants to go to Uganda with me, by a Bar Mitzvah boy who wants his community service project to benefit the kids at the orphanage, by a teacher who wants to showcase CTT at her school's "Africa Day", by an old friend who brings over 200 beanie babies for me to take to the children, by a complete stranger who makes an anonymous donation, by an eight-year old boy who wants to send his Ugandan pen-pal a new soccer ball. The list goes on and on, and as these positive ripples spread out over more and more people, more and more good things continue to happen. I feel ever so lucky to be part of such an outpouring of love.



Bernadette is one of those people who stepped up after a presentation and offered to help. Here is her story:

"I first heard about ‘Little Dresses for Africa’ from a high school friend. After checking out their website and getting a dress template I decided to sew a few just for fun.

Soon after my sewing adventure began, I attended a presentation by Gloria Baker Feinstein about CTT one evening at St. Andrew Christian Church in Olathe. After talking with Gloria and discussing the dresses I had brought along to share with the same group, I dreamed of creating as many dresses as I could for St. Mary Kevin Orphanage. But with that dream I knew I had to ask for help, and boy did I get help!

I soon spread the word about St. Mary Kevin Orphanage to anyone who would listen, along with my dream of creating dresses and shorts. To my wonderful surprise I have received donations of cash, fabric, trims, and sewn dresses and shorts from a great variety of people including members of Curves, former co-workers, friends from Minnesota and Kansas, and of course, many women from St. Andrew’s. Because of their generosity, a total of 117 dresses and 43 pairs of shorts will be on their way to St. Mary Kevin Orphanage in December!

This experience has been the perfect match for me….my love for sewing and my love for children."

- Bernadette Kautio

Thank you, Bernadette and friends. People like you inspire me to keep going.