PALMYRA - Kim Jerrehian knows just when God spoke to her. She answered with what has turned into Pillows-of-Love, a ministry of love and hope for women and children in need. "It was an audible call from God, and I just knew it's what I had to do," she explained.

The North Londonderry Township resident's story began in 2003, when she decided to make colorful pillowcases for several children who would be attending a mom-and-tots event at Camp Hebron in Dauphin County. After camp, Jerrehian put the pillowcase project out of her mind and went on with her life as a stay-at-home mom to Daniel and Paige, now 11 and 8, and as a wife to husband Greg.

Several months later, in early 2004, Jerrehian was speaking at a women's retreat when she heard the story of a woman whose foster children had arrived with all their belongings in a black plastic garbage bag. As it happened, one of the women present was involved in the original camp's pillowcase creation. "She said, 'Kim, you should make those kids your special pillowcases,'" Jerrehian said. "I felt like a bubble had descended on me, and I thought, 'Wow.' The entire way home, I kept praying, "Do you really want me to do this? This is just a pillowcase. Did I hear you right?'"

In a quiet moment, while contemplating how to follow what she felt was a clear directive from God, a psalm popped into her mind. "When my son was an infant, I would pray Psalm 4:8 over him when he was screaming," she explained. "I hadn't thought of that verse in years, but I knew immediately that verse was meant to go on the pillowcases."

She made up a sample and had "The LORD will give you sleep, peace and a safe place to dwell. Psalm 4:8" embroidered on the pillowcase. She knew rules would prevent her from going through the public foster-care system, so she took the sample to the Bethesda Mission and asked staff members if they thought the women and children using the shelter would like to have them. They told her they could use 40. It was April 2004. Today, more than 15,000 Pillows-of-Love pillowcases have been distributed. The ones for women include a Bible; the children's ones include a book about Jesus.

Most have gone to central Pennsylvania residents, but there are Pillows-of-Love chapters in Arizona, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina, and Ohio. Orphanages in Kenya, Ukraine, Guatemala and Romania also distribute the pillowcases. A Pillows-of-Love branch has formed in Shanghai, China and their goal is to give pillowcases to every one of the 10 million orphans in China.

At first Jerrehian was able to keep up with the growing organization, buoyed with a few donations and a little help from friends, family members and church groups, but eventually, she could no longer manage by herself. Again, Jerrehian explained, the hand of God was at work. She was speaking to a Bible-study group, and when asked what she needed, she answered "help with administrative tasks." That's how Hershey resident Colette Cocco, also a stay-at-home mom with two children, Chad and Katelyn, now 9 and 6, a husband, Paul, and a passion for doing God's work, started volunteering.

The first year, Cocco planned and completed a transition for the fledgling organization to a corporation, filed for 501(3)(c) nonprofit status and helped form a board of directors. She also helped with bookkeeping, fund-raising, correspondence and special events. Although the two form the backbone of the organization, with Jerrehian contributing about 30 hours weekly and Cocco about 15, there also are seven other active board members: Chairman Travis Zimmerman, Suzanne Zimmerman, Randy Fackler, Joe Miller, Jo Davidson, Marianne Reider and Debbie King.

As the organization has grown, there have been a few changes. The Bible verse is now heat-stamped onto the pillowcase. Although pillowcases are sewn and distributed in several locations, all fabric goes through the hands of Jerrehian, and all of the heat-stamping is done at her house on Wheatstone Drive. Early on, she accepted donations of fabric, but now as a nonprofit organization, she is able to purchase it at a deeply discounted rate, plus she has learned exactly what fabrics and patterns appeal to the recipients.

Each woman and child entering a participating shelter can choose his or her own pillowcase from a variety of patterns. Each one is sewn by a volunteer who believes in the mission - "Providing women and children in crisis with a hand-made pillowcase and Bible to encourage them to find shelter in our Lord Jesus Christ."

"We hope the pillowcases remind the women and children of the God who loves them and knows their circumstances, and that someone else loves them enough to make something special just for them," Jerrehian said. "A pillowcase is a simple thing, but it's something special they will use every day, and it's the first thing they see every morning and the last thing they see every night. "God is using a pillowcase to spread his word," she added. "Sometimes I think, 'How weird is that?' It's amazing what God can use to draw people close to him."

To keep up with the growing demand, Jerrehian and Cocco always are on the lookout for more volunteers. They need people to cut fabric, to sew (this involves very simple sewing skills), and to put the Bibles and books together with the pillowcases and get them ready to deliver. Both individuals and groups can share these tasks. Although Jerrehian and Cocco have coordinators in York, Adams, Lancaster, and Chester counties, they have been coordinating Lebanon County and the East and West shores of the Harrisburg area themselves. Because the organization has grown, they would like to pass those duties on to other volunteers so they can concentrate on other aspects of the organization. They also could use volunteers with more technical expertise, especially a grant writer.

All monetary donations, with occasional exceptions for printing or publicity, are used to purchase materials and/or Bibles and for delivery. All of the work is 100-percent volunteer, Jerrehian explained.

A major fund-raiser last spring will be repeated April 26 in Hershey. Children will get sponsors to donate for their participation in a Pillowcase Derby, which includes hopping, skipping, running and jumping while "wearing" a pillowcase. Last year, the first time the derby was held, the organization raised enough money to make 2,500 pillowcases, which exceeded their goal.

Anyone interested in volunteering, participating in the Pillowcase Derby or making a donation is asked to call Jerrehian and Cocco at 838-5711 or e-mail pillowsoflove@msn.com. For more information, visit the Web site at www.pillowsoflove.com. Donations are tax-deductible.

© 2006 Pillows-of-Love.  All rights reserved.