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why not donate that old sewing machine...

If you’ve been lucky enough to replace your old sewing machine with a new one—good for you! Not everyone is so lucky. For women who use their sewing machine to make a living, the lost of a machine is not just disappointing; it can mean financial ruin for their families.

 

Margaret Jankowski understands this well. After the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia, Margaret read an article about a woman who had lost a sewing machine in the storm—a machine this woman saved for years to buy—a machine she used to support her family. When the storm swept it away, it took this woman’s livelihood with it. So Margaret decided to help by collecting donated sewing machines and shipping them to Sri Lanka.

 

But this isn’t the end of this story. Margaret visited Quiltology last month and told us about The Sewing Machine Project—a nonprofit organization she started in order to help even more women in need. I urge you to check out their web site and forward this info to your sewing friends. If you’ve got an old machine collecting dust, please consider donating it to this group. It doesn’t have to have lots of fancy functionality, but it does need to be in good working order.

 

Margaret’s focus has now shifted to other areas of need—like New Orleans. Since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, she’s made five trips to the city, delivering more than 500 donated sewing machines. Some of these machines have gone to individuals, others to community centers and schools. And most recently Margaret sent 16 sewing machines to women in a village in Kosovo that’s still recovering from the 1990s conflict between Serbia and ethnic Albanians.

 

If you don’t have a sewing machine to pass along, you can still help The Sewing Machine Project with a tax deductable monetary donation which they can use to help cover shipping costs.

 

The Sewing Machine Project also accepts donations of fabric, patterns and other sewing-related items. Note—fabric must be clean, and of a type that is useable in the South—please don’t send your stash of wool and polar fleece!

Email Margaret@thesewingmachineproject.org for additional info.

Do good—feel good!

Colette

 

Posted on Friday, May 15, 2009 at 08:14PM by Registered CommenterQuiltology | CommentsPost a Comment | References8 References

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