MONONA - The Sewing Machine Project will be collecting donated, working sewing machines on Sept. 10-12 at Quilt Expo in Madison.
The Sewing Machine Project is a grassroots community building enterprise.
Founded in 2005 by Margaret Jankowski of Monona in response to the Southeast Asian tsunami, the goal of the project is to help people rebuild their lives after a natural disaster or war, by providing them with sewing machines and sewing supplies.
Across the globe millions of women support their families through informally organized sewing based businesses. When natural disasters and wars tear their homes and lives apart sewing machines are lost, and livelihoods are jeopardized.
The Sewing Machine Project collects and services donated sewing machines and supplies and delivers them to people who have no means of acquiring a replacement machine for themselves.
To date the group has delivered over 550 machines. Most machines have gone to the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina but machines have also been delivered to Sri Lanka, Gee's Bend, Ala., Mexico and Kosovo. Recipients are asked to "pay it forward" in a sewing-related way, by sewing for others or helping others learn to sew.
Most recently the children in an impoverished Dane County neighborhood have benefited from sewing classes using machines provided by The Sewing Machine Project.
Through churches, neighborhood centers and women's sewing collectives The Sewing Machine Project is literally sewing communities back together.
Working sewing machines may be dropped off at the Project booth in the non-profit section at Quilt Expo.
To learn more about how The Sewing Machine Project mends lives and communities, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.thesewingmachineproject.org.
The Sewing Machine Project is a grassroots community building enterprise.
Founded in 2005 by Margaret Jankowski of Monona in response to the Southeast Asian tsunami, the goal of the project is to help people rebuild their lives after a natural disaster or war, by providing them with sewing machines and sewing supplies.
Across the globe millions of women support their families through informally organized sewing based businesses. When natural disasters and wars tear their homes and lives apart sewing machines are lost, and livelihoods are jeopardized.
The Sewing Machine Project collects and services donated sewing machines and supplies and delivers them to people who have no means of acquiring a replacement machine for themselves.
To date the group has delivered over 550 machines. Most machines have gone to the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina but machines have also been delivered to Sri Lanka, Gee's Bend, Ala., Mexico and Kosovo. Recipients are asked to "pay it forward" in a sewing-related way, by sewing for others or helping others learn to sew.
Most recently the children in an impoverished Dane County neighborhood have benefited from sewing classes using machines provided by The Sewing Machine Project.
Through churches, neighborhood centers and women's sewing collectives The Sewing Machine Project is literally sewing communities back together.
Working sewing machines may be dropped off at the Project booth in the non-profit section at Quilt Expo.
To learn more about how The Sewing Machine Project mends lives and communities, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.thesewingmachineproject.org.
