Thursday, October 24, 2013

Sacred Sewing: Shine-On Grant from Azteca

We are very pleased to announce our getting a "Shine On" grant from Azteca!


This was our proposal, authored by the talented Ms.Tolish:

The Maria Kaupas Center (MKC) is a Catholic community center in Marquette Park that works in collaboration with Catalyst-Maria High School, a CPS charter school, to provide teens with meaningful afterschool programming.

One goal is to provide service-learning opportunities. Program Director Amy Eckhouse and MKC volunteer/Catalyst sewing teacher Sr. Elizabeth Ann, a Sister of St. Casimir, have created a special program called Sacred Sewing.

In this win-win program, Catalyst-Maria students who are members of the MKC learn the basics of sewing and the joy of serving those less fortunate. Through three sewing projects to be completed over the course of six months, Sr. Elizabeth Ann will instruct students in basic sewing techniques and machine operation as they create items designed to bring comfort and a sense of community to three very different populations in need. (1) Hats for the Homeless – 20 MKC members will sew 40 fleece hats and personally deliver them to a local PADS site where they will meet both PADS beneficiaries and volunteers. (2) Peek-a-boo Pillows – MKC members will sew and stuff 60 small pillows in engaging, child-friendly patterns. Students will deliver these pillows to local hospitals and police/fire departments to be given to children who are ill, have been injured, or have experienced some type of trauma. They will comfort and console some of the city’s youngest victims. (3) Suited for Seniors – MKC members will sew 30 clothing protection cover-ups for elderly residents of nursing homes who suffer from Alzheimer’s. Made from colorful fabric with stimulating designs, these cover-ups can help increase recall as seniors remember who had the panda bear cover-up on Tuesday and who gets it on Wednesday.


Through Sacred Sewing, teen members of the MKC could learn an important skill – and how to sew! A Shine-on grant will help us make it happen. 

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We are so excited to start this programming and incorporate our "Hats for PADS" kids into this awesome new project!

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