Debbie Dimitre, a Pacific Northwest storyteller best known for her stirring one-woman shows about women and young girls in American history, will present “A Patchwork of Favorite Christmas Tales” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Vashon Presbyterian Church.

In the show, Dimitre will share a collage of seasonal stories designed to touch the hearts and lift the spirits of audience members of all ages, genders and cultural backgrounds.

“A Patchwork of Favorite Christmas Tales” is only one show in Dimitre’s remarkable repertoire.

She appeared on Vashon in 2022 as Alice Paul, a suffragist and co-author of the 1923 Equal Rights Amendment, and in 2019, she presented her one-woman show about Emily Dickinson. Other performances on Vashon have showcased her shape-shifts into Eleanor Roosevelt and Grandma Moses. Her most recent appearance, in September of 2023, was a showcase of cozy and uplifting tales for all ages and genders.

According to Dimitre’s website, the performer was inspired to create her far-ranging series of shows after realizing, 30 years ago, that her children’s school books were practically devoid of information about the contributions, courage and bravery of mothers and daughters in American history.

Carving out her niche as a working performer dependent only on her own carefully researched writing, a trunkful of costumes, and audiences eager to hear the inspiring tales, Dimitre has performed at schools, community colleges, churches, libraries, bookstores, and history museums, as well as more traditional venues including the Seattle Folklife Festival.

Dimitre’s Dec. 14 presentation is a fundraiser by one of two Vashon chapters of P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization.

The organization, founded in 1869, is an international women’s nonprofit that helps girls and women achieve their educational goals through scholarships, grants, and loan programs, as well as in its own institution of higher learning, Cottey College.

To date, these international programs have helped assist well over 100,000 women with more than $344 million in funds for educational assistance.

The Vashon members of the organization — which has had a presence on the island since the early 1980s — also give out their own scholarships to island girls via the Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation.

Tickets to the show, $20, may be purchased at the door on the day of the show. For more information about Dimitre, visit debbiedimitre.com.

Disclosure: Reporter Elizabeth Shepherd is a member of P.E.O. Chapter GW, on Vashon.