I am partnering with the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center to put on a twice-monthly craft and sewing club at my studio in San Jose. We will invite members of the queer community, and anyone who wants to learn to sew and spend time with other people. We are fighting against holes in clothes and holes in our social fabric! Coming together and learning a new skill is our way of fighting the loneliness epidemic. Sewing is a useful activity, one that can lead to job opportunities, entrepreneurship, community engagement, art and DIY skills that help individuals and families. More than just learning to sew, it will create a free third space and connect people through art.

It would be easier for me to do free community projects if I had sewing machines I could dedicate to student use, and not have the ones I use for my business possibly tied up in repairs. Student machines are also simpler to use and easier to transport.

My space has a parking lot, ADA accessible entrance and is close to a variety of mass transit. I will also use the machines as a mobile classroom to take with me to the DeFrank Center and other venues. I hope to create a fully mobile classroom setup eventually and reach out to interim housing centers, retirement homes and more.