By Cyrus McGee
In a quiet corner of the Ebenezer Community Church’s banquet hall in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a small table stood glowing with color. Laid neatly across it were scarves, hats, and fabric-crafted pieces—each lovingly stitched by Madam Olivia Jackson Seward.
It was Saturday, August 30, 2025, and the church’s fundraiser dinner buzzed with excitement. Guests mingled and laughed, plates clinked, and pledges were whispered with hopeful hearts. But Olivia’s table held a quiet strength, a story woven deeper than the threads she used.
Olivia carried herself with the grace of someone who had endured storms and still chose joy. A faithful member of Ebenezer Community Church for over two decades, she was now doing her part in an effort to raise $4 million—the final stretch to pay off the church’s mortgage. With $6 million already covered, the church was determined to burn its note at its 20th Anniversary Celebration this coming September.
Olivia, however, wasn’t just giving money. She was giving herself.
After surviving breast cancer, a journey that left her hairless and humbled, Olivia took up stitching. What started as a way to make hats for herself became a healing craft—and later, a ministry. “I lost something, but I gained something too,” she said softly, adjusting a purple-stitched cap on the display. “God gave me these hands, and I’m using them for His house.”
Each piece she sold that evening, every dollar made, was dedicated to the mortgage fundraiser. Women tried on her handmade hats and wrapped her scarves around their shoulders, not just as fashion, but as a statement of faith.
To Olivia, it wasn’t just thread and fabric—it was worship.
“This church held me when I was weak,” she said to our reporter. “Now I’ll help it stand strong.”
And in that corner of the hall, surrounded by vibrant stitches and quiet prayers, a small miracle was taking place—one handmade piece at a time.
