Students in the Advanced Fashion Design class at Ukiah High School have completed a meaningful and creative service project: designing and sewing 24 handmade dresses for Dress-A-Girl Around the World, a program of Hope for Women International that provides new dresses to impoverished girls in 95 countries.
Under the guidance of teacher Lori Bialkowsky, the class of 21 students – both female and male – designed dresses for girls ages 5–14. Students incorporated their own sense of style, creativity, and technical skills into each garment, producing unique, high-quality dresses that will be distributed to girls who often have few or no new clothes of their own.
“This project gives students a chance to use their fashion skills for something bigger than themselves,” said teacher Lori Bialkowsky. “They learn precision sewing and design, but they also learn compassion, global awareness, and the power of service. I’m incredibly proud of the care and creativity they poured into these dresses.”
A distinctive feature of each dress is a “Dress-A-Girl” label sewn onto the front pocket. This label is far more than decorative—it has been shown to help protect girls from would-be traffickers. When traffickers recognize the label, they understand that the girl is connected to an international organization that is aware of her and may be monitoring her welfare. This simple mark of identification has helped keep countless girls safer.
Locally, the Dress-A-Girl program is sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church of Ukiah, where a dedicated group of volunteers—church members and community participants—has been sewing garments since the program began in May 2022. To date, the Ukiah volunteer group has produced 795 dresses and 149 pairs of shorts for the related Dress-a-Dude program.
Volunteers meet monthly on the third Saturday, though attendance is not required; many participants sew from home. With the program’s growth, the group is currently seeking donations of cotton or cotton-blend fabrics, sewing notions, or financial contributions to purchase needed supplies.
“Watching these students put their hearts into every stitch gives me so much hope,” said Denise Beckler, local coordinator of the Dress-A-Girl Ukiah team. “Each dress tells a girl that she is valued, seen, and worth protecting. The students’ work will bring dignity and confidence to children they may never meet, but whose lives will be touched forever.”
For more information about supporting or joining the Ukiah Dress-A-Girl volunteer group, please contact the First Presbyterian Church at (707) 468-9235.