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Posted by Valkyrie on September 7, 2005, 5:37 pm
wow! what a wonderful idea. I wonder if letters and phone calls to our well
supported local dealers would consider sending some of those reconditioned
machines they have as well, along with basic supplies. Not only may these
machine possibly be used for income but mending and altering gifted clothing
as well.
Just a thought,
Val
> It is *so* good to see a newsgroup being so collectively sane
> about the disaster. (I sporadically read and post to rctq, have
> occasionally lurked on rcts).
>
> OK, an idea. (I really don't like making suggestions I am in
> absolutely no position to do myself, but this one seems not
> to have been made yet). If your sewing machine has been sunk
> a few feet down in warm sewage for a week it's probably not
> going to be usable for much again, assuming you ever find it.
> And for many poor women in NOLA, their sewing machine must
> have been an essential source of income. Maybe it would be
> an idea for people to start assembling sewing machines, other
> sewing equipment, and starter packs of consumables for the
> refugees to use once they have somewhere to set up as a sewing
> space? This could be done anywhere in the US they end up; it
> makes more sense for the gear not to be shipped long distances.
> There's a charity here that collects sewing machines for use
> in the Third World; it would make sense to support the Katrina
> refugees in the same way, but people in the US will be better
> placed to distribute them. A first step would be to identify
> recipients who could use them.
>
> I imagine there will have been a lot of home-piecework - ghastly
> exploitative labour, but a lot better than the concentration camps
> FEMA is offering, and it's easy to set up a business like that
> anywhere. Distribute an appropriate mix of machine types in each
> destination and it could make a big difference to collective self-
> reliance. Some people will have used straight-stitch machines,
> others sergers, and so on, it'll help if they get what they're
> used to.
>
> (I've focused on work-related use, but surely there are enough
> spare machines in America to help refugees who used to sew for fun,
> too - and god knows they're not getting much fun from anything
> else at the moment).
>
> ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk
> ==============
> Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660
> 4760
> <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554
> 975
> stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739
> 557
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