Sister Maria opens formal attire store in Ogden

Intermountain Catholic

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Daughter of Charity Sister Maria Nguyen and Kandi Arellano, store manager, cut the ribbon to dedicate De Marillac Formal Attire, with the assistance of Ron Remkes, who works with the Ogden Chamber of Commerce to promote Ogden businesses.

OGDEN — Daughter of Charity Sister Maria Nguyen, her staff and advisory board held a grand opening Feb. 15 for the Give Me A Chance De Marillac Formal Attire shop at 2620 Washington Blvd. in Ogden.

Give Me a Chance was originally founded in 2010 as sewing and entrepreneurial classes for low-income women. It evolved into a boutique selling items they had made, and now more services are being offered.

Father Ken Vialpando, pastor of Saint Joseph Parish, and Father Jose Barrera, the parish’s parochial vicar, blessed the shop during the grand opening.

Jodie LeBlanc, an advisory board member, emceed the event and thanked Sr. Maria for making De Marillac Formal Attire possible.

"She made Give Me A Chance a place of community, a learning center and a positive environment for women willing to go an extra mile when the odds were against them, said LeBlanc. "Sr. Maria is full of positive and creative energy, and even in her limited spare time, has started creating her own fashion line and label for the store."

LeBlanc has been amazed at what the women in the eight graduating classes have been able to learn in the past three years, she said. "Sr. Maria teaches these women to sew, but she also changes their lives as they gain confidence through skills including marketing skills," said LeBlanc. "Some of the women, after they graduate, work in the shop doing alterations, mending and sewing formal wear. She also has taught them how to make jewelry and crafts, and has helped them learn English. Sr. Maria has a huge heart."

Maria Mendez graduated from Sr. Maria’s second sewing class. "I now do alterations for myself and my friends," she said, "but most of all I can make my own patterns. I was in the advanced class, and every two weeks we made things like pants, dresses, skirts and hand bags. I sold some of my items at the Ogden Farmers Market."

Mendez said her self-esteem has blossomed and she enjoys the sharing that goes on among the women. "I have made a lot of friends and have invited people to come and join the program."

Kandi Arellano, De Marillac store manager, also is a GMAC graduate. "Sr. Maria has given me an opportunity to manage the store, and one day I hope to own my own fashion store," said Arellano. "The GMAC program strives to empower women by teaching them marketable skills and leads them to become self-sufficient along with learning integrity, creativity, diversity, love and love of family and community and environmental responsibility. It offers women the opportunity to refine business practices necessary to establish their own businesses as well as promotes human dignity by enabling participants to provide for themselves and their families."

Advisory board member Janet Healy, also a Catholic Community Services assistant volunteer coordinator, said the work Sr. Maria has done thus far is phenomenal. "Sr. Maria is truly a business woman and she knows how to encourage women."

The formal attire shop is Sr. Maria’s third working environment. "We started making simple dresses, but I think we chose to specialize in formal wear because we can do alterations without competing with department stores," Sr. Maria said. "Sewing in this area is not very popular, and we can be more personal. By doing alterations, the women are working in a real situation for customers, so when they go out they can feel confident about their skills. The sewing skill is something to start with, but the idea that these women are able to feel good about and believe in themselves is the most important aspect of the program."

Give Me a Chance now has another site, on Grant Avenue in Ogden, where the sewing classes are being held. Sr. Maria also plans to have computers, English as a Second Language classes and child care, she said.