WRITTEN BY JODI HERSEY
The methodical hum of sewing machines can be heard resonating up from the basement of the Danforth Baptist Church like a well rehearsed choir. This is where the Dorcas Sewing Sisters meet twice a month to stitch together dresses, shorts, and pants for widows and orphans around the world. Ja-Net Cronkite started this all volunteer senior citizen sewing group back in 2017 after reading about the plight of children in orphanages in Haiti.
“Our motto is we can’t go, but we can sew,” Cronkite said. “We want to be an encouragement, and when you’re busy for the Savior, you don’t have time for anything else.”
Cronkite named the group after a lady from the New Testament.
“It comes from Acts 9 in the Bible. This Dorcas lady, she was also called Tabitha, and she loved to sew and make things for the townspeople,” Cronkite explained.
One of the first members of the group was Lydia Preston of Weston. She’s an avid dress maker whose eyesight has been failing, but that hasn’t stopped her from stitching away on her vintage Singer sewing machine.
“Having bad eyesight is nothing to God,” Preston said matter of factly. “The orphanages are so destitute in everything and I can still sew, so I figure I can do that to help out. I’ve made over 1,300 dresses.”
The group is made up of 20 seasonal and year-round members ranging anywhere from 60 to 90 years old. Some don’t drive or have televisions in their homes, so they spend their time sewing and collecting hygiene kits, which include toothbrushes, soap, and washcloths, for widows and orphans in the countries of Haiti, Moldova, and elsewhere. Then the group boxes up their donations at the church and mails them to Samaritan’s Purse or Moldova’s Orphans Hands — charities that provide spiritual and physical aid to those in need.
“Whatever we send, they find a use for,” said Norma Mason, a seasonal member of the Dorcas Sewing Sisters. “We feel at least purposeful in our old age and not just idle, and that’s satisfaction in and of itself.”
Mason, who summers in Maine, knits and sews, finding both peace and purpose in her actions.
“I have no TV. I have a radio and that’s it. So I listen to the Christian radio station while I sew or knit and it allows my hands to be busy,” she said. “We all just want to serve the Lord in a way that helps other people.”
When Cronkite formed the group all those years ago, she was hoping to create something to keep Maine seniors involved and active. What she discovered was a family of women willing to use their time, talents, and resources to better the lives of people around the world.
“We’d like every woman to know that you are not useless, no matter what age you are,” said Cronkite. “Some of the women [in the group] have told me this has given them something to live for, a reason to get up in the morning each day.”
Those who would like to donate to the cause can send donations to:
Dorcas Sisters’ Ministry
c/o Danforth Baptist Church
P.O. Box 88
Danforth, ME 04424
Checks payable to: Danforth Baptist Church Benevolence