Stitch Buffalo Annual Report: 2022

This year marked a moment in time that was unlike any other in our history. As we transitioned to the “new normal” of post-quarantine life, Stitch Buffalo experienced exponential growth.

Many factors played into this increased demand:

• Revised immigration policies allowed us to welcome many new refugees to the City of Buffalo.

• Mask sewing and quarantine during the pandemic sparked renewed popular interest in textile crafts and sewing.

• Growing awareness of the impact of the fashion/textile industry on the environment increased public desire for sustainably sourced home goods, clothing, and textile art supplies.

During this time, Stitch Buffalo staff, board members, and volunteers worked diligently to finalize a five-year strategic plan aimed at expanding our capacity to serve the needs of refugee women and our community as a whole. We have big things in the works for 2023 and look forward to sharing some exciting announcements about our future over the course of the coming year.

Below you will see some of our milestone moments of 2022, along with the individuals and organizations that supported us in attaining these goals. Your support is integral to the success of Stitch Buffalo.

2022 Milestones

Operations:

• Completed our Five-Year Strategic Plan process. (funding: Rich Family Foundation)

• Transitioned to our own online shopping site. (funding: ASI Give for Greatness grant)

• Hired a new part-time employee to manage our Second Stitch program.

• Expanded the position of Development and Communications Manager to full time (funding: Evans-Devereaux Memorial Fund)

• Established new consignor agreements with translations in major refugee languages (funding: WNY Foundation Capacity Building grant)

Impact numbers:

• 200+ refugee women and families received sewing tools and training

• 1000+ people of all ages participated in hands-on textile-art classes

• 15,000+ pounds of supplies rescued for reuse

• 6000+ volunteer hours contributed

• 40% increase in sales and payouts to refugee artisans

Programs:

• Social Justice Stitched Stories exhibit was displayed at the Burchfield Penney Art Center (funding: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation grant) and the Springvile Arts Center.

• Creative Journeys: Celebrating the Art of Refugee Women in Western New York exhibit launched at the Buffalo History Museum. (funding: Buffalo History Museum; New York State Council on the Arts; Arts Services, Inc.; Erie County Cultural Funding; Providence Fund [Sisters of St. Francis]; M&T Bank; Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation)

• Launch of Youth Summer Camp Program. We welcomed our first three classes of students to explore the textile arts in week-long summer sessions. With help from an anonymous matching grant, our Facebook followers raised enough money to sponsor scholarships for a full class of students from the African American Cultural Center.

• Hands-On Youth/All-Ages Workshops. Stitch Buffalo staff, volunteers and artisans led workshops at: Buffalo History Museum; African American Community Center; and WNY Fiber Arts Festival (funding: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation). We also taught classes at: Providence Farm Collective; West Side Community Services; Say Yes Saturday Academy at Lafayette High School; St. Mary's High School; Urban Teachers Academy (a Buffalo State College and McKinley High School collaboration); Assembly House; WIT; Burchfield Penney Art Center; Play/Ground Art Festival; Buffalo Urban League/Links; and Buffalo Community Health Center, and to Girl Scout troops.

• Afghan Refugee Sewing Machine Drive and Classes. The WNY community pitched in with dozens of sewing machine donations, which were cleaned and tuned-up by Stitch Buffalo staff and volunteers (special thanks to Walter Rogers, George Ames of A & S Sew-Vac, and Mike Kuettel). Through funding from Five Star Bank and the Vogt Family Foundation, these machines were provided to Afghan refugees at no cost, along with the supplies and training needed to start sewing at home.

• Young Learners Textile-Art Curriculum Development. Responding to a community need for youth textile-arts education, Stitch Buffalo enlisted professional arts educators to design a culturally informed curriculum that will allow us to teach more youth workshops and train teachers to lead their own classes. (funding: Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Competitive Grant)

• Custom work: Custom orders and small-batch manufacturing are an important source of income for Stitch Buffalo artisans. This year, we were pleased to complete jobs for many local/regional businesses, including: Water Buffalo Club 716, BreadHive, International Institute of Buffalo, Providence Farm Collective, Ingram Micro, Slow Roll Buffalo, ComfyComfy Pillows, D'Youville University, and MoonLeap Meditation.

• Launch of Nest/Etsy. Stitch Buffalo partnered with Etsy and Nest to train, equip, and prepare entrepreneurial artisans to open and manage their very own Etsy shops as part of the Afghan Refugee Collective within the Etsy Uplift Makers Initiative.

• Weaving Wellness Program. With support from the Josephine Goodyear Foundation, professionals from the arts and artists-in-residence program at Oishei Children's Hospital worked alongside Stitch Buffalo founder Dawne Hoeg to engage adolescents from OCH’s outpatient behavioral health clinic in textile arts programming. This project helps foster creativity, mindfulness, health, and well-being.

• Support for Artists and Arts Educators. Stitch Buffalo was happy to provide low- or no-cost supplies for many local arts educators as well for organizations like the Peruvian Outreach Project. This group was created by WNY resident Cristian Johnston after his visit to Aldea orphanage—his home before his adoption in 2000. The group has recently established a new sewing workshop at the orphanage, located in Tarapoto, Peru. To complement their new equipment, Stitch Buffalo sent them a selection of sewing tools, fabrics, and supplies. 

Awards and Honors

• ATHENA Awards. Stitch Buffalo founder and executive director Dawne Hoeg was a finalist for the 2022 ATHENA Awards, presented by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. A generous supporter purchased a table for the luncheon, allowing several of the refugee women to join us at the award ceremony.

• Pitch 10 Competition. Stitch Buffalo was selected as a finalist and received the opportunity to compete in United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's Next Generation United Pitch10 event.

• Stitch Buffalo Day. May 3, 2022, was officially Stitch Buffalo Day in the city of Buffalo, NY! Thanks to council member Joel Feroleto for inviting us to talk to the City of Buffalo Common Council, and for all his support.

• New York State Senate 2022 Empire Award. In an event at the Buffalo History Museum, Senator Sean Ryan met with staff and board members of Stitch Buffalo to present us with this award—and a $10,000 grant.

Our Supporters

The generosity and support we have received over the past year has allowed us not only to continue serving our community but also to develop our vision for a bright and beautifully diverse future. We extend our deepest thanks to each member of our Stitch Buffalo community. In countless ways, large and small, you are what makes it all possible.

Businesses, Foundations, and Other Organizations
These organizations have provided valuable financial and in-kind support.

Individual Supporters
Year after year, we are proud to be supported by so many generous individuals in our own community and beyond Western New York.

Thank you, also, to our supporters who elected to remain anonymous. Apologies to anyone who may have inadvertently been omitted.

Volunteers
In 2022, our volunteers contributed over 6000 hours of work to the mission of Stitch Buffalo. Nothing we do would be possible without their generous gift of time and skill.

Apologies to anyone who may have inadvertently been omitted.

We were also assisted by volunteer teams from: M&T Bank, University at Buffalo, and Buffalo State College.