Stitch Buffalo Annual Report: 2023

Reflecting on 2023, we can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and excitement. 

Thanks to the incredible support of our community, Stitch Buffalo successfully completed our capital campaign and unveiled the design for our expanded store/studio space, serving Buffalo, NY, the Western New York region, and all points beyond. 

From individual donors and private foundations to local businesses and city/county/state government, it was incredible to receive such unilateral support for our programs and mission. 

Concurrent with the success of our capital campaign, Stitch Buffalo also experienced growth in all three of our programs, providing services to more refugee women, textile-art students, and other creative people than ever before. 

As you’ll see throughout our 2023 Annual Report, this year truly set the stage for what we have in store for 2024—a wonderful journey that is just beginning!

Without your donations, patronage, and support of Stitch Buffalo, none of these milestones or success stories would have been possible. Thank you for believing in what we do and playing an integral role in our goal to stitch communities together.

2023 Milestones

Operations:

Capital Campaign—Completed a successful capital campaign, raising over $750,000 to renovate a larger store/studio space. (See below)

Improved Language Access—Revised and translated consignor program information, contracts, and financial documents, which are now available in seven languages (plus English). (Supported by the WNY Foundation)

New Board Members and Officers—Welcomed several new board members, including a new President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. 

New Hires—Hired a full-time Business and Finance Director. Our staff also grew in early 2024 with new hires in our Retail Manager and Second Stitch Manager positions.

Programs

Moving On Up!

Renovations are nearly complete. In April 2024, Stitch Buffalo will be taking up residence in our new store/studio at 284 Plymouth Avenue. We will occupy the building’s entire first floor and have room for all of our programs to grow.

Key Features

• Almost 300% more space than our previous location and fully ADA compliant

• Central community table and kitchenette 

• Dedicated print/dye studio space

• Larger store to provide a better shopping experience for our guests

• Fully equipped sewing studio space

Refugee Women’s Workshop

• Featured in new book, 111 Places in Buffalo That You Must Not Miss

• Partnered with Eileen Fisher Renew as well as many local designers to create new, sustainably sourced products 

• Welcomed dozens of new participants from Burma, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Ecuador, and beyond

Community Classes

• Completed design of our Creative Threads curriculum

• Expanded our outreach, bringing Stitch Buffalo classes to new schools, community centers, and other venues

• Provided free or low-cost seats in every class—plus 12 full scholarships to Textile Art Summer Camp for kids from underserved neighborhoods

Second Stitch

• Although we closed to supply donations in November (to pack for the move), we processed over 13,000 pounds of donated textile supplies

• Planned for expansion of operations in our new home, with a devoted space for Second Stitch sorting and retail.

Stories

Success stories abound at Stitch Buffalo! Download the full report to read more about:

Ser Eh Paw, who designed a signature ensemble that captured the punk roots and mariachi sound of a local musician and was used on his album cover.

Palwasha Basir, who was selected by award-winning recording artist and entrepreneur John Legend as one of twelve collaborating artists to create a limited edition ornament for his holiday collection.

Khawar Walizai Amiri, the former Head of Women’s Affairs for Khost Province in Afghanistan, whose work for women’s rights made her a target of violence in her home country—and how Stitch Buffalo is helping her acclimate to her new home.

Awards

Pitch 10 Competition—Stitch Buffalo was thrilled to win the 2023 Pitch 10 competition, hosted by United Way of Buffalo and Erie County and Next Generation United. Best of all, the win came with a $25,000 award to help outfit our community table, where women from around the world can gather at the heart of our new space. 

Highmark Bright Blue Futures Award—Stitch Buffalo was one of just sixteen organizations from across five states to receive a "Bright Blue Futures" award from the Highmark Foundation. The award honors organizations with unique ideas to impact community health. It included a $15,000 grant to support our work.

Environmental Excellence Award—On Earth Day, Erie County Deputy Executive Lisa Chimera presented Stitch Buffalo with the Erie County Environmental Council's "Environmental Excellence Award." The award honored our Second Stitch program for its commitment to reducing textile waste.

Our Supporters

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN—We are grateful for the support of the following organizations in supporting Stitch Buffalo’s capital campaign and transition to a new store/studio facility.

Stitch Buffalo’s plan to renovate a space for our expanded store/studio would not have been possible without the support of over 400 individual donors from Western New York and beyond! Thank you so much for believing in our programs and mission. 

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTERS—Support through in-kind donations and program/operations funding was also graciously provided by:

Children’s Foundation of Erie County

Fiber Art Now

FilzFelt

Josephine Goodyear Foundation

Lake Shore Savings

Nest/Etsy

Volunteers
In 2023, 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.

Thank You! A special shout-out to all the board members, committee members, volunteers, and community members who invested their time and energy working on our 2023 Capital Campaign, designing our new space, and planning for the transition. Your contribution to Stitch Buffalo’s future made the next step possible!

We were also assisted by volunteer teams from: M&T Bank and United Way of Buffalo and Erie County’s Day of Caring.

Stitching Communities Together

We look forward to welcoming EVERYONE to our new store/studio, opening April 2024!

Read 2022 Annual Report