Retired Woman Sews One Dress a Day to Help Needy Children – Story of the Day

A woman in her 60s felt her life had no purpose after she retired from her corporate job after four decades. One day, she decided to use her old hobby, sewing, to help needy children wear decent clothes to school.

Lucy Pennings was a retired corporate secretary who worked in the same company since her 20s. She was so invested in her work that when it was time for her to retire at 63, she suddenly felt lost.

Lucy's husband, George, died a decade ago, and her children worked abroad as expats. Because her kids were so far away, they barely had time to connect with her, and she constantly felt lonely.

Lucy was a retired corporate secretary who had no idea what to do with her life. | Source: Pexels

One day, as Lucy was walking home from the grocery store, she saw that her neighbor Amanda had put up a box in her front yard. "ACCEPTING CHILDREN'S CLOTHING DONATIONS," the box read.

Her neighbor worked at an NGO that helped low-income families and was extremely passionate about her work. A couple of times before, she tried recruiting Lucy to be a volunteer, but she was still so engrossed in her work during those times.

"Hey, Lucy!" Amanda greeted when she saw her walking past the yard. "How have you been?"

Lucy saw her neighbor Amanda asking for donations in her front yard. | Source: Pexels

Lucy smiled at her neighbor and walked closer. "Hi, Amanda! Well, here I am, finding things to do every day now that I'm retired. It's nice to still see you working with the NGO. What are the donations for?" she asked.

Amanda revealed that she was working with a local public school to provide their students with proper clothes. "This school works with families in low-income communities, migrants, and refugees," she revealed to Lucy.

"Some girls wear clothes of their older brothers and sisters, even though they look ragged and oversized. They have to make do with what they have because their parents cannot afford to get them the proper clothes and bags they need," Amanda explained further.

Lucy felt awful hearing Amanda's story, so she decided to do something about it. | Source: Pexels

Lucy felt awful hearing this, knowing how difficult it must be for these kids to go to school wearing uncomfortable clothes. At that moment, she had a lightbulb idea and suddenly knew what she wanted to spend her time on.

When she got home, Lucy brought out her old sewing machine. Every time she felt stressed at work in the past, she would sew clothes and household items for her family, but it was a hobby that was long-forgotten.

She saw a whole chest of beautiful linen she hadn't used and washed them so she could use them to make dresses and shirts for the girls and boys at the school Amanda was working with.

Lucy brought out her old sewing machine to make clothes for the kids. | Source: Pexels

Lucy promised to sew at least one simple clothing piece a day. In the first week, she gave Amanda seven beautiful dresses to donate to the students.

The following week, she doubled her donations, making seven dresses and seven shirts for the girls and boys. Lucy realized how much she loved sewing and used it as a way to pass her time. She would wake up motivated to sew and happily show Amanda her creations in the afternoons.

Amanda was delighted that Lucy found something to do every day. She saw how Lucy's passion ignited a spark in her, making her happier and more sociable.

Lucy made beautiful dresses for the students, which she donated to Amanda. | Source: Pexels

One particular Monday, Amanda decided to invite Lucy to the public school to hand over the clothes in person. Lucy appreciated the gesture and couldn't help but feel excited to see the kids wearing her creations.

When they got to the school, Lucy's face brightened when she spotted some students wearing her clothes. "I made that two weeks ago!" she pointed out excitedly.

"They love the clothes you gave, Lucy! Thank you for making these kids happy," Amanda gushed. "Some students revealed they hadn't worn new clothes in years, and thanks to you, they were able to get beautiful new pieces!"

Lucy teared up after seeing her creations being worn by the students. | Source: Pexels

Lucy couldn't help but tear up seeing her creations appreciated by other people. She promised Amanda that she would keep making clothes for young children and that she'd start to volunteer in Amanda's NGO actively.

"Thank you for using your time to help other people, Lucy," Amanda told her as soon as she heard this. "I'm excited to continue working with you."

What can we learn from this story?

• It's never too late to reignite your passion for something. Lucy had always enjoyed sewing, but she pushed this hobby to the side because of how busy she was as a corporate secretary. Years later, she realized she could help her neighbor Amanda in her cause by making clothes for students.
• If you have the opportunity to help other people, do it. Lucy did not hesitate to help Amanda by dusting off her old sewing machine to make clothes for poor students. In the end, she got to help the kids and found a new purpose that motivated her to get up every day.

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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.