Hortense Price-Jones and Janice Woodard of Les Gemmes, Inc. and Doris McMillian of New Hope Academy gathered in June to prepare gifts for children in Africa. Les Gemmes, Inc. has a national signature program, ‘Light the Path For Girls.’ Through this program the ladies gathered in an effort to make something that can be shared with the students during a visit to Africa.

The friends used our God-given talents to make beautiful pillow case dresses. With a variety of pillowcases and ribbons of all kinds, pillowcases are transferred into a lovely summer dress.

In mid-July Janice Woodard, president of Les Gemmes, Inc. Nashville chapter, travelled to Kenya with a case of pillowcase dresses.

The dresses were gifts provided to an orphanage of neglected and abandoned children at the Diani Children’s Village on the Diani Beach Coast in Kenya.

“We wanted to ‘light the path for the girls in Kenya by sharing our love and giving hope from the hand made dresses,” said Woodard.

Proverbs 11:25 says: “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed.”
“We wanted to be a blessing to these young ladies. When the dresses were given to the students, they placed them over the clothing they were wearing and did not want to take them off,” said Woodard.

The young men wore t-shirts that were brought as gifts for them.
The Nashville Chapter of Les Gemmes, Inc. was sponsored by the Atlanta Chapter of Les Gemmes, Inc. and became a recognized chartered chapter of Les Gemmes, Inc. Edwina Hefner organized the Nashville chapter.

Local chapter projects and programs focus on mentoring youth, health and wellness, cultural enrichment, and community outreach.

The mission of Les Gemmes, Inc. is to “Serve our communities by meeting the needs of others. We also are highlighting the value of our sisterhood and our respect and care for each other by creating a deeper bond of friendship among our members.”