‘Ladies on a Mission’ celebrates ten years of touching lives through sewing

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A local group of women is making a difference, one thread at a time.

The local charity organization, Ladies on a Mission, is a small crew with big hearts, making a difference in peoples’ lives.

The group sews a variety of clothing items that they give out for free to needy children and adults in the Port City and around the world.

On Wednesday, they celebrated 10 years of service.

“We just want something to do other than sewing. That’s our gift back to people we’ve done things for and we haven’t done things for,” said Mary Shepard, founder of Ladies on a Mission.

What began as a weekly sewing group in 2013, quickly grew into a dedicated charity that meets at Saint Louis Street Missionary Baptist Church in Downtown Mobile.

“People began to give us sewing machines, fabric, ribbon, thread and anything that was needed, people were doing it,” stated Shepard. “And then we got in touch with the lady in Africa and we made dresses and sent things that they could use.”

When the ‘ladies’ first started, they joined hands with the organization, Little Dresses for Africa, sending more than 200 dresses overseas after 6 months of sewing.

Patricia Roland is one of 8 women dedicated to this mission.

“When I came across this group of ladies, it’s like we all were blessed. We all had some type of talent that we could share with someone else and when we found out about the little girls in Africa, it was a delight,” said Roland. “We enjoyed doing it- not only did we make pillow case dresses, we made short pants for the boys so the boys wouldn’t be left out.”

Since then, they’ve given away bibs to nursing homes, hats for patients undergoing chemotherapy, and much more.

“Whatever the need-- we try to fill it. We’re blessed, and it’s our way of telling the Lord ‘thank you’ for blessing us,” said Roland.

She says the feeling is indescribable.

“It makes me so happy to be here. To see all these ladies putting their goods together to show Mobile what we are doing and they can do something too,” explained Roland. “Regardless of what you have, or how little you have, there is still something that you can do to help somebody else. That’s all we want to do.”

The ‘ladies’ say they’re getting ready to send off 125 dresses, pants, shirts and suits to Africa.

In the meantime, they say they always welcome sewing donations. Click here if you’re interested in giving to Ladies on a Mission.

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