Looking to Donate Old Wedding Dresses? This Organization Turns Them Into ‘Angel Gowns’ for Moms Who Had a Miscarriage or Stillbirth

Looking for somewhere to donate your old wedding dresses? This organization will repurpose them into burial outfits or keepsakes for moms who’ve experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Southern Grace Angelic Gowns, a nonprofit organization based out of Mobile, Ala., has spent the last two decades upcycling donated wedding dresses and creating “angel gowns.”

Sophia Bosarge, founder of the organization, told AL.com that she first started making the custom burial outfits or dressings for babies in 2005. The organization was officially founded in 2017, though, and started as a way for Bosarge to process her own grief.

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“I’ve lost four babies so it started, in a way, to heal my own heart,” Bosarge told the outlet. “I would go to church with my family, and on Mother’s Day it was always hard because they would call out all of the moms to stand up, and everybody would look at me crazy when I would stand up because I wouldn’t have any children with me, but even though I’ve lost four children, I’m still a mom.”

“My children just aren’t here with me,” she continued. “People didn’t understand that back then. It was kind of taboo because you just didn’t speak about things like that, but now we don’t let our babies be forgotten.”

Borsage tells PEOPLE that her husband has supported her throughout the entire journey of making angel gowns — he was even the one to buy her her first sewing machine.

“I may have started sewing in 2005 as a way of healing my own heart, but the nonprofit status didn’t come until much later,” she tells PEOPLE. “As I was hand-sewing over 3,000 Swarovski pearls on my wedding dress, I realized how much I missed sewing.” 

“I mentioned to my then-fiancé in passing about making angel gowns in the past and how I want to start again after the wedding. The next day, he came home with a new sewing machine in hand, and I haven’t looked back!” she continues. “I have had so many grieving mamas reach out to me, just needing to talk or cry.” 

“I always tell them my phone is always on and I am always available. I have started a course to be a stillbirth doula, and once I complete it, I will be better able to assist these families.” 

With the help of around 20 volunteers based in the Mobile area, as well as in Mississippi, Bosarge makes the angel gowns, outfits and other keepsakes out of wedding dresses that have been donated to the organization. She said that there’s no shortage of dresses and added that there’s often a waitlist.

After they’ve sourced the fabric, Bosarge and her team of volunteers add lace, bows, pearls and other special items to make every single angel gown unique.

“[Parents] could buy something in a newborn size, but you can’t buy anything in a two-pound size or one-pound size,” Bosarge told the outlet. “We start out with a pocket for babies that you can’t dress, you know, and we do make dresses that are for those that are teeny tiny, with tiny little bonnets or knit caps because unfortunately, there is still a need for those.”

Bosarge also tells PEOPLE that her organization is actively looking for volunteers after losing many due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and says her husband, who is an Air Force Veteran, has also become a pro at cutting down a dress.

Southern Grace Angelic Gowns also partners with more than 60 hospitals and funeral homes all over the country, as well as helping those who reach out individually. Bosarge also often sends blankets or other options for parents who have had miscarriages or stillbirths.

“That’s another reason why I do what I do, because I didn’t have anything left to remember my children by,” Bosarge explained to AL.com. “So I want to make sure that other moms have something as a memory of their babies and something to have with them.”

At the end of the day, Bosarge creates these gowns so families can feel a sense of community and know that their babies will always be loved.

“It’s just something letting them know that we do know your baby was here,” said Bosarge. “We know your baby existed, and we love your baby too.”