Sewing for the homeless

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This article was published 05/11/2019 (2330 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the days get colder, a group of volunteers is trying to help homeless Winnipeggers survive the harsh winter.

1JustCity started the Sew Much Love campaign, aiming to sew 3,000 toques, neck warmers and mitts before Nov. 23. The campaign started on Oct. 26, and they hope to have the winterwear items by 1JustCity’s fundraiser event, Walk A Mile in My Shoes.

Laura Everett, the community capacity builder for 1JustCity, said the campaign started out of a need for more winter items to give away.

“It’s survival for a lot of people. A pair of (mitts) at Giant Tiger cost maybe 10 bucks? I know that might not mean much, but for some people it’s the difference between eating for a day and being warm,” Everett said. “It’s just a reality. We need more (winter items) to hand out.”

Everett said for the kickoff event on Saturday, they borrowed sewing machines from places like the West Central Women’s Resource Centre, and were able to make 60 winter items. Since then, Everett has created a volunteer list, sending out patterns and materials so more people can sew at home.

The sewers are using discarded clothing items to make the items, everything from animal prints to old camo sweaters.

She added that some home economics classes have signed up to help.

The Walk A Mile in My Shoes event is a fundraiser walk where participants can tour the area and get an idea of what it’s like to live in poverty. Everett hopes to have 3,000 items made before that deadline, which will be distributed throughout 1JustCity’s locations.

Everett hopes that this event will bring more perspective to homeless and poverty issues.

“The disconnect from the reality of what people’s life looks like when they’re experiencing poverty, it’s an exhausting story to tell over and over again,” Everett said. “People are excited to do something tangible. (They) don’t usually think about knitting when we talk about these sorts of poverty issues. There’s no reason you can’t sew something and give it away.”

1JustCity is a community organization that supports three drop-in locations in West Broadway, the West End and Osborne Village. They provide food, laundry, clean socks and underwear to people living in poverty.

The Sew Much Love campaign is looking for more volunteers. For more information, email Everett at volunteer@1justcity.ca