A recent news article in a local Massachusetts
newspaper (Daily Hampshire Gazette*) caught my eye and I thought I would take
the opportunity to share it.
It caught my eye for
a variety of reasons including the fact that it highlights utilizing sewing
skills to address a current global crisis, volunteer work, community support,
and repurposing. Below is a brief summary of the article and if you want to
read the full article please follow the link at the end of this post.. I hope
it inspires you as much as it does me!
Titled, “A Step Up: Belchertown Business Owner
Forgoes a Month off to Make ‘Muck Shoes’ for Syrian Refugees” this January 13th
article highlighted the recent and continuing work of MA resident, Andrea Boyko.
According to Emily
Cutts, author of the piece, instead of Andrea taking her regular January vacation
from running her business, she decided to utilize her knowledge of making shoes
to pledge 50 pairs of homemade shoes for refugee children currently being
displaced as a result of the crisis in Syria.
Muck Shoes are made
of repurposed rubber from the inner tubes of bikes, as well as a mixture of new
and recycled textiles. Wool serves as the sole liner and t-shirts are utilized for the soft inner lining. A durable fabric from old sweaters, jeans and/or new water-resistant duck cloth are utilized to form the outside. These shoes are easy to clean and they have stretch to them, allowing children to wear them a bit longer than typical shoes. Growing kids can outgrow shoes very fast!
Along the way Andrea has received help from volunteers,
both old and young, who have donated materials, helped cut materials and make
shoe size tags.
Once completed, these
shoes will be sent to Turkey and from there they will be disseminated to refugee
camps in Syria.
But Andrea’s volunteer
work does not end there; she is also planning a family vacation to Greece, a location
where there are currently thousands of refugees, and while there she will lead
sewing workshops in refugee camps.
Not only do I appreciate
this story because it highlights sewing and repurposing but more importantly
because it shows how these things can be utilized by an individual (who is
supported by a community) to provide
assistance to those in need.
To learn more about
Andrea and her shop Bula Jean’s Boutique visit her FaceBook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Bula-Jeans-Boutique-183782958307742/
(Note picture of shoes taken from Andrea's FB page)
*Link to Article: http://www.gazettenet.com/Belchertown-woman-makes-shoes-for-Syrian-refugees-7431836
Sew on,
E. Farley
