Stories: Sewing Hope

In Asian countries, sewing is a valuable trade skill for girls and boys alike. Brett and Kristy Moore’s passion is to incorporate helping at-risk children of Remember Nhu and the trade of sewing into a valuable, tangible and lifelong skill. The Moore’s are owners of Montavilla Sewing Centers in Oregon. Brett, familiar with sewing machines since a young child, knows them inside and out. Kristy is part of our Vocational Product Design Team and knows how to adapt styles and trends in sewing.

Brett Moore teaching Remember Nhu children how to use a sewing machine in Asia.

Compelled by Remember Nhu’s mission and the need for at-risk children to learn the sewing skill, Brett contacted the President and CEO of Janome, an international sewing machine company. The result? Janome donated sewing machines designed specifically for Remember Nhu, complete with instruction manuals in native languages.

Brett and Kristy, along with their two teen-aged children, visited Remember Nhu homes in Asia. They taught our house mothers, helpers and children valuable skills such as cutting, measuring material, different stitches and how to properly operate and perform simple repairs to the machines. Their trips were the very thing that inspired the beginning of our Vocational Training Centers.

The Moore’s two trips to Asia are only the beginning. New teams are forming to carry on their work into other homes around the world.