After watching a documentary on the lack of women's rights worldwide, Audra Peifer was inspired to take action. In 2012, she founded Binding Love, a ministry that creates and sells handmade scarves to benefit Christian-based homes for girls in Thailand. Now, you can help support this impactful mission by attending a Binding Love workshop in Columbia.

The workshop will take place on Saturday, Jan. 18, from noon to 3 p.m. at Kindred Collections, located at 452 Locust St., Columbia. A snow date is scheduled for the same time and place on Sunday, Jan. 19. Participants will have the opportunity to design their own scarf in a fun "make and take" event. Half of the cost of each scarf will be donated to homes for at-risk girls in Thailand.

Fabric is provided for participants, who choose the pieces they'd like to use for their scarf, explained Doreen Impink, the Lancaster coordinator for Binding Love. The organization's designer will guide people on how to lay out the scarf, and then a seamstress will sew it together. Any scarves not completed by the end of the workshop will be sewn off-site and available for pickup at Kindred Collections on Saturday, Jan. 25.

"The workshop held last January was very popular, and we received feedback that people enjoyed designing their own scarf," Impink shared. "People enjoyed time with friends and using their own creativity."

Each scarf is made from upcycled fabric, sourced from thrift stores or donated by individuals and organizations. "The workshop is a great way to spend time with friends and make a unique gift for yourself or someone else," Impink remarked. "And you are supporting a great cause at the same time."

Proceeds benefit two homes in Chiang Rai, Thailand - Eden House and House of Refuge - which provide shelter, education, food and Bible teaching for girls ages 5 to 17. To date, Binding Love has raised more than $40,000, directly supporting hundreds of girls in need. None of the volunteers are paid for their work, including Peifer.

"The purchase of one scarf from the workshop will provide 18 meals for a girl at one of the homes in Thailand," Impink said. "The purchase of two scarves will provide education for one girl for a whole month. The average daily wage of a Thai person is about $11, so our dollar goes far in Thailand."

Impink noted that if someone is interested in purchasing a scarf, but they can't attend the workshop, there are now seven retail locations in Lancaster and Berks counties that sell premade scarves. The newest locations include Naturally Gifted by Jeri in Elizabethtown. Other Lancaster County locations include New Holland Coffee Co., Kindred Collections and Divine Consign in Manheim.

For the workshop, people are encouraged to preregister for a half-hour starting time slot to ensure a smooth flow of the day. To learn more about Binding Love and register for the workshop, visit http://www.bindinglove.org.