Young girls get their white bows at the temple
Fifteen-year-old Jessica Daines demonstrates how to make a bow to the young women in the LDS Jensen Park Ward in Syracuse on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Daines is making the bows with the help of peers to donate to the family center at the Ogden LDS Temple.
A white bow made by 15-year-old Jessica Daines, a member of the Jensen Park Ward in Syracuse, on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Daines is making the bows with the help of peers to donate to the family center at the Ogden LDS Temple.
White bows made by 15-year-old Jessica Daines, a member of the Jensen Park Ward in Syracuse, on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Daines is making the bows with the help of peers to donate to the family center at the Ogden LDS Temple.
15-year-old Jessica Daines demonstrates how to make a bow to the young women in the LDS Jensen Park Ward in Syracuse on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Daines is making the bows with the help of peers to donate to the family center at the Ogden LDS Temple.
Kyerra Bright, 14, makes a white bow at the LDS Jensen Park Ward in Syracuse on Tuesday, June 16, 2015.
Jessica Daines (center), 15, helps Alea Rassi (left), 15, and Eloise Schmitt (right), 16, make a white bows at the LDS Jensen Park Ward in Syracuse on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Daines is making the bows with the help of peers to donate to the family center at the Ogden LDS Temple.
Jessica Daines, 15, helps Taylor Perrone, 13, make a white bow at the LDS Jensen Park Ward in Syracuse on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Daines is making the bows with the help of peers to donate to the family center at the Ogden LDS Temple.
SYRACUSE — Jessica Daines still remembers what it was like to go the temple with her family when she was 5 years old. The 15-year-old still has the all-white dress she wore 10 years ago when she was sealed to her parents in the Salt Lake LDS temple and she also has fond memories of the white bow the temple workers gave her that day.
“I played with it and I wore it all the time. It finally fell apart I used it so much,” Daines remembers. So it was no coincidence when her mother, Karen Daines, started volunteering at the family center in Ogden Temple and when she saw some pretty white bows it piqued her memory.
The family center is the part of the temple that helps the children at the temple — either if they are going to participate in the temple sealing ceremony, or wait for family or parents that are in the temple.
A few months ago some little girls went through wearing white bows, but had to give them back afterward so other girls could wear them. “I just remembered how much Jessica loved her bow and wondered if Jessica would want to do something,” Karen said.
Karen shared the experience with Jessica and Jessica went to work right away starting to make a few bows. Karen took them to the Ogden Temple and they were used quickly by five little girls. “The girls looked so cute and were so excited to take them home,” Karen said.
Jessica started thinking that maybe she could do something more, and decided to get the help of the other young women in her ward to make lots of hair bows and perform a service project plus one of her value projects for her church’s Young Womanhood award. To earn the award, young women have to complete eight 10-hour projects in different categories such as faith, divine nature, individual worth and good works. Jessica chose to do her project of making the bows in the good works category — a category that focuses heavily on service.
She asked ward members for donations of ribbon, clips or money to buy ribbon and clips. Donations started flying in and soon Jessica acquired a large box of white ribbon and clips. She started making bow designs with her mom and one Tuesday night had an assembly line going with about 15 other young women at her church house and put together about 200 bows. Jessica and Karen are now putting the finishing touches on the bows. “Working with my mom has been a favorite part,” Jessica said. “She sits here and I sit here and we just go to work,” Jessica said as she motioned to their designated seats on the table.
“Jessica has a really artistic eye and she knows what will look good,” Karen said of her daughter. “And the bows have to be perfect. We seal all the edges because Jessica wants them to be perfect for the temple,” Karen said.
A lit candle sat on the table where the two singe the edges of the bows so there is no chance of fraying. “I want it to be perfect for them so when they look at it they remember what a special and perfect day it is,” Jessica said.
Karen said those working in the family center have been thrilled with the donations. “They know how great it is to get young women working together and then how much these little children will love these bows,” Karen said. And the bows are all sizes, even headbands for the babies. “We want everyone and every age to have one,” Jessica said with a big grin. “Plus, they can pick what they want — really fancy or more plain. I like to think as I’m making them who will pick which bows and how happy they will be.”
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