Posted on November 08th, 2022.

Acouple of weeks ago, the Angel Gowns studio was visited by a very special gentleman who brought an early Christmas gift. You see, until this day, Angel Gowns has never had a penny to its name- we have been given lovely gifts of sewing machines, and a serger, the gorgeous wedding dresses, and notions like thread and scissors- but we never had money to get our machines serviced- or even think about buying a new one!

Our guest arrived, not knowing what to expect. There were a half dozen Angels waiting to meet him; the table was set with a surprise lunch; and the studio was cleaned up (well, as cleaned up as an art space can be!). He got to see where the magic happens- where the baby gowns are created, the racks of wedding dresses waiting to be deconstructed, the portable wall with current projects pinned on it, the gowns that are ready to be loaned to a bride-in-need. The bins of already deconstructed gowns, the bins of ready-to-be delivered Angel Gowns, the bin of almost ready gowns, and the bin of “in need of a little more love” gowns, shelves of irons, notion, threads, and our “Book” that donors and guests sign. The tiles on the rise of every other step coming up to the studio, the “Angel: in a wedding gown on display as you enter the studio, the stacks of Hospice Garments ready to be sewn, the tables of sewing machines at the ready for their next project.

We were lucky that our guest was able to fit us into his very busy schedule- you see, he is a corporate CEO, with branches of his “work” all over the Los Angeles area. He brought us an early Christmas gift- a check for $2,500- to use for filling some of our current needs. We were in shock- it was a very generous gift! And today, we made use of some of that gift. Angel Gowns was able to purchase 3 brand new sewing machines! And our current machines will be getting a much-needed cleaning and servicing after Christmas. Tomorrow, the original coloring books created by the students at Art Camp, and the Art Journal, will be getting printed. None of this would have been possible without that gift.

And so, I would like to tell Mr. Garry Olney, CEO of Providence Hospitals, how very grateful we are for his generosity; and for his strong faith in our mission of helping families at a very dark time in their lives. A very Merry Christmas to all of the Angels, and most especially, Garry Olney!