Wednesday, January 27, 2010

SEWING FOR HAITI brings over 200 people together!




On January 18, 2010, Sue Rock Originals Everyone made history by calling on volunteers to create wrap skirts for the survivors of the recent earthquake in Haiti. Men women and children from all walks of life answered the call and in a mere 8 hours bonded together to create over 250 skirts.

As the people poured in, some with babies in tow, some with sewing machines, the fabric was passed from hand to hand. People sewed sitting at machines, on the floor and standing up. When the studio reached capacity, people found nooks and crannies to fit themselves and continue working.

Sue Rock Originals Everyone will have sewing machines up for the month of February and will quality control the skirts throughout March. With our ears to the ground, we are looking at organizations who have established themselves in Haiti and are familiar with the ins and outs of distributing items to the communities. These organizations will be in place at the Tent Cities now growing and will have need for new clothing for these women and children.

Sue Rock Originals Design Studio
1069 Bergen Street
between Nostrand and Rogers Avenues
Brooklyn, New York 11226

All donations can be made
via Paypal at
suerockoriginals@yahoo.com

For volunteering
Hours of Operation Tuesday through Saturday
11:00 - 6:00pm

Monday, January 18, 2010

Why We're Here

Sue Rock's store, a long narrow space on Bergen Street, has the eclectic look of a well worn workshop, overflowing with fabric, bobbins, thread and a mirror ball at center with a red frieze running the length of the store. Her call for volunteers to make skirts for Haitian girls and women has attracted an equally eclectic crowd--a student from Ithaca, a parks supervisor from Manhattan, a Brooklyn computer programmer, and dozens of others. The shop is crowded with some people working outside -- happily, the weather is definitely on our side -- but the sense here is relaxed and there are even moments of that kind of quiet that comes from people concentrating on their work.

Some of the volunteers came because they were looking for Martin Luther King Day volunteer opportunities. At the fabric sorting table, Igor, who works in advertising, said he found Sue Rock Originals through the MyBarackObama web site as did Charlene and Jessica. Charlene, whose family comes from Barbados, and Jessica, with family in Haiti, had wanted a chance to help give relief after the earthquake but wanted to do something more besides sending money. Lauren, another of the fabric sorters, was surprised that there were so few opportunities to actually do something for Haitians besides donating money.

Shirley, who is waiting for a chance to sew, brought her two children, Cheyenne and Zavier, to the event because, as a Haitian American, she wants to find some way to help while also exposing her children to a volunteer opportunity: "As long as Cheyenne gets a chance to sew, I'll be happy."

Natasha came because she had volunteered for Sue last year, and via facebook, learned about the event today. She's working on an industrial machine hemming a butter yellow material that will become one of the 500 skirts the Rocks plan to send to Haiti. The skirts will be sarong-style: "Making a button hole would take way too much time," she said.

Sue Rock Originals - Sewing for Haiti

So this is my first time blogging and about my fifth time sewing. Who knew the two would ever come together like this? Sue Rock has organized volunteers to come together on MLK Day to sew wrap skirts for Haitian women who have lost all of their possessions in the earthquake. There are about 40 people here in Brooklyn from all over NYC, all ages and ethnicities, with all levels of sewing skills, and lots of good energy. Right now we're getting everything set up (threading needles, sorting and cutting fabric, drinking our coffee and getting to know one another) so that we can start in on the project. Sue is thinking about the long-term needs of Haitians to make sure that as time goes by, when the world has moved on from responding to the crisis, we can keep having something to give to help make people's daily lives there a little better. She's also introducing people here to new and forgotten skills (witness me blogging and sewing). Thanks Sue, for creating a great way to spend MLK Day.
-Sarah Peterson

Thursday, January 14, 2010

SRO SEWING FOR HAITI - MLK DAY OF SERVICE EVENT

ALL THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PROVIDING DIRECT SUPPORT:

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
January 18, 2010
10:30 am - 6:00pm
Sue Rock Originals Design Studio
1069 Bergen Street
Between Nostrand and Rogers Avenues
Brooklyn, New York

Volunteers who can cut, sew, fold fabric, pack boxes and enjoy working together should come to our studio.

THE STUDIO WILL HAVE PERPETUAL SEWING MACHINES AVAILABLE AFTER THE DAY OF SERVICE FOR CONTINUAL SEWING OF CLOTHING FOR SURVIVORS OF THE EARTHQUAKE.

Our Hours of Operation are
Tuesday through Saturday
11:00am - 6:00pm