4th FSS Airman turns pillowcases into dresses

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Aubrey Robinson
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - --  Imagine a world where every little girl has her own dress; where brightly colored floral and polka dot prints contrast mud-brick homes as the sound of little girls' laughter drifts across dirt roads.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Keena Dove-Alston, 4th Force Support Squadron superintendent of career development, does her part in creating this type of world by sewing pillowcase dresses for the Dress a Girl Around the World organization.

Dove-Alston is one of many volunteers who create the dresses. DAG is an organization which offers young girls in various countries the opportunity to own at least one dress. The organization utilizes volunteers who sew the dresses, state representatives who collect the dresses and church missionaries who physically deliver them to girls in poverty-stricken countries. To date, DAG has given more than 60,000 dresses to girls in 56 countries.

"I truly believe that every girl deserves at least one dress," Dove-Alston said. "It's an awesome feeling to know that a simple pillowcase can be the difference in whether or not a girl has clothing."

Making a dress is not a lengthy or costly process. In her spare time, Dove-Alston sews dresses using thrift store fabrics, gently used pillowcases and sheets. Whether it is a simple bow or ruffle, she always adds a special touch to each girl's dress.

"I had brand new pillowcases in my closet that were cheetah print and they sat in there for years as they were to be spares for company," said Dove-Alston. "The sheets were so cute; I figured I might as well make up two dresses. What I had as a spare in my country actually clothed two little girls in another."

The finished products are something little girls can not only treasure but also serve as a defense mechanism. According to DAG, child predators see the girls are cared for and tend to stay away.

"It really touched my heart when I saw the little girls in my dresses," said Dove-Alston. "I recognized the ones I made immediately and it brought tears to my eyes to see what they were wearing before they received the dress and then seeing them in my dress. The looks on those girls' faces when they received a dress was priceless. It made me want to make more."

Gaining recognition for good deeds is not a goal of Dove-Alston's, but spreading the word about helping those in need is.
"In between working, being a wife and mother, she has found time to sew approximately 50 dresses for girls ages 6 months to 11 years in Uganda and Haiti," said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Alicia Stigger, superintendent of Air Force Elements at the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington and friend of Dove-Alston's. "The girls look lovely in their new dresses."

For more information about DAG, visit dressagirlaroundtheworld.com or contact Dove-Alston at keenadove@gmail.com.