As a wife, mother of four, and passionate Christ follower, Julie Rowland understands the day-to-day struggles life can bring. They often burden us the most at night, leaving us restless, anxious and in need of comfort. The idea for scripture pillowcases was a seed planted in Julie’s mind by God, which she turned into her brand, PillowGrace, a line of luxurious, custom pillowcases to remind those resting of Biblical truths from dusk until dawn. The established business, located on Palm Street on St. Simons Island, with a website shipping nationwide, offers customers beautiful pillowcases of all sizes that are personalized with monograms, meaningful scripture, and thoughtful details so you can Rest Assured, Arise Restored. “It’s not just a pillowcase,” says Rowland, “it’s a PillowGrace. The power is in the grace.”
Heather Burrell and owner, Julie Rowland make up the community-minded PillowGrace team.
Each PillowGrace pillow is thoughtfully designed and handcrafted in the United States using high-quality cottons and silks. The line also includes tea towels and home accessories that make perfect hostess gifts. Whatever the product, the business’ focus is on creating tangible expressions of God’s word.
Nearly 6 years into the business, Julie felt a pull to leverage the retail success of PillowGrace to further her mission of encouraging others and supporting the local community that is her home. With that goal in mind, Julie set out to create a non-profit organization that, using the foundation of her retail company, would come alongside other non-profits to help expand their reach and spread the comforting truths of scripture to those who may need the reminder. PillowGrace Project was born. Through fundraising opportunities, PillowGrace Project can also help the organization raise awareness and funds through the sale of PillowGrace products. This is what Julie says lights her heart on fire.
“I’ve found great joy creating the PillowGrace line. It’s something I learned from the ground up,” says Julie. “And now—to have the opportunity to utilize our product success to benefit likeminded organizations that operate with big hearts—to make an impact on the lives of others through the love of Jesus Christ —this is what I’m most passionate about.”
PillowGrace in the home
Identifying the right organizations to support has been somewhat easy and natural at this point. Last year, PillowGrace visited the residences at Morningstar Children and Family Services (located off Hwy 99 in Brunswick) after learning they were looking for sponsors to help support their children through donated gifts and funds. PillowGrace Project set a goal to give each child living at Morningstar a personalized PillowGrace for Christmas. They held a promotion in which one PillowGrace would be gifted to a child at Morningstar for each PillowGrace purchased. The Director of Development at Morningstar, Lisa Johnson, came to the in-store event on St. Simons Island to share more about their facilities, programs, and the impact they have on children in Georgia.
The promotion was successful. Each child at Morningstar received their own personalized PillowGrace. But the results of the collaboration were even more far-reaching. Julie and her right-hand, Heather Burrell, personally delivered the pillowcases, an experience that left them humbled and inspired to continue their mission for others. Many people in the community who never heard about Morningstar became aware of their mission through the PillowGrace promotion, expressed their enthusiasm for the cause, and became ongoing supporters. This increased awareness even led Morningstar to become connected with a foundation who they hope can help fund much needed facility renovations. PillowGrace Project now has a continued relationship with the organization, carefully following along as new children move in to ensure they also receive a personalized PillowGrace when they arrive.
“By partnering with PillowGrace, we are doing more than just giving each child a pillowcase. We are creating hope and a sense of home for each child who enters our gates,” says Johnson, “Children in residential care don’t have a lot that is permanent. Sadly, they sometimes come to us with their belongings in a black trash bag. Through this partnership, they give each child a message of hope with their name on it, something they can keep beyond their time with us.”
PillowGrace Project also worked persistently to support Chaplain Billy Barrow while he served with the U.S. Army Reserve in the Middle East. They provided over 200 PillowGrace pillowcases for many of the soldiers serving alongside Billy. There are countless testimonies of how this
Chaplain Billy Barrow serving in the Middle East
impacted them by boosting their moral, renewing their spirit, and reminding them that God is always with them. Chaplain Barrow emphasized how encouraging it was for his battalion to receive packages from home while they are so far from it. “There were three pallets of care packages waiting for us when we arrived in Afghanistan, which is unheard of,” he explained. “When you see those boxes from the U.S., you’re flooded with emotion. It reminds you of home and all you know and love there.”
One soldier emailed the PillowGrace team with his gratitude saying, “Due to my frequent travel, the pillowcase makes the perfect addition to my kit for laying my head down, when I get a chance to sleep… My favorite verse to read is ‘In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.’ Something about it gives me comfort that we will be ok that night.”
Moving forward, PillowGrace Project will be working to identify organizations that support individuals who need to be lifted, comforted, and reminded of God’s grace, mercy and provision. Their aim is to break strongholds by restoring the mind through God’s word, bringing rest, renewal and restoration.
Their next collaborative project is with Hope 1312 Collective, a local organization who exists to share, support and shape stories of children and families in and around the foster care system. After hearing director Ally Christianson’s moving testimony at the Inspire Women’s Conference last September, the team knew they wanted to get involved with this organization. Hope 1312 Collective focuses on providing hope in hard places, primarily through enabling local churches to engage with and leverage their resources for the child welfare system. In 2019, nine local churches committed to being part of the solution to change the trajectory of these children’s lives. Over 70 children were served through the Care Portal, 15 foster families were supported through Care Communities and seven wellness events were provided to DFCS employees.
The PillowGrace team meets with Hope 1312 Collective director Ally Christianson.
Additionally, 33 foster children experienced Royal Family Kids Camp, a week-long, overnight trauma-informed camp specifically for children in foster care. While most of the campers are from our community, they also welcome some siblings from other areas, giving these brothers and sisters the chance to spend special time together. Camp is an opportunity for these kids to be transformed through new experiences, therapeutic activities, and nurturing relationships with safe adults. Campers range from ages 6-12 and can return each summer, where they will be greeted by the same counselor who works one-on-one with them. Hosting this camp is no small feat, and the cost per child is $1,000. PillowGrace Project is helping Hope 1312 Collective to raise funds for the camp, as well as providing a personalized PillowGrace to each camper.
“This work of re-writing the story of child welfare here in our community is no doubt a long work
PillowGrace store
and one that I feel humbled to steward. However, by its nature, this line of work can be dark and lonely at times,” says Christianson. “When PillowGrace Project contacted us, it felt like life and light. It truly spurs us on knowing that the community is coming alongside us.”
One of the primary fundraisers for camp will be an in-home trunk show, a “party with a purpose” with a portion of PillowGrace sales going to Hope 1312 Collective. Attendees will shop and design their own personalized PillowGrace products, while learning more about the mission of Hope 1312 Collective and how they can impact the lives of foster families in our community. They will also be able to make donations directly to the organization. “There is an intimacy about bringing your product into someone’s home to share the word of God,” Rowland explains, “For this particular event, it’s even more special because we are fighting for the home-life of these children, so they can thrive in their biological homes, with their foster families, or be adopted into their forever homes.”
If you are interested in joining PillowGrace Project’s mission to support Hope 1312 Collective, a $25 donation to PillowGrace Project will provide one pillowcase for a camper. Donors will receive the first name of a child that they helped sponsor along with a prayer card, so they can pray for him/her during (and even after) camp. To learn more about Hope 1312 Collective, visit hope1312co.org.
PillowGrace Project thanks Lauren Hopkins of LBH PR Co. for helping bring this article to life. Contact PillowGrace Project by visiting them at 165 Palm Street, calling 912.268.2791, or emailing pgproject@pillowgrace.com. You can also learn more on their website at pillowgrace.com/pillowgraceproject.
