Sew to Serve: The Sewing Machine Project
Don’t just throw away that old or used sewing machine! Donating a secondhand sewing machine to The Sewing Machine Project will help others in less fortunate circumstances get back on their feet or even become self-sufficient. The SMP began in 2005 following the devastating tsunami in southeast Asia. When the organization’s founder Margaret Jankowski read a BBC news article about a woman who had lost her sewing machine in the storm and with it her means of earning an income, she began collecting donated sewing machines in her local area and shipping them to Sri Lanka – and The Sewing Machine Project was born.
Today the SMP is dedicated to not only collecting used and new sewing machine donations, but also to support recipients with sewing and small business education in order to promote new opportunities for small business development, creative growth and community service.
Sewers know how liberating it is to have a sewing machine and the freedom it offers to stitch your own clothing, repair goods for your family, and even to make an income by sewing for others or creating a finished project to sell. Since the beginning of the SMP in 2005, the organization has distributed over 900 sewing machines both within the US, and overseas in Kosovo, Mexico, Haiti and Liberia. There are many ways for YOU to help, from donating a sewing machine, fabric or notions to contributing funds to help cover costs of refurbishing used machines and shipping expenses.
