Stitch with SACSS
Stitch with SACSS
This spring, SACSS will launch a new Women’s Economic Independence Program that will provide South Asian, AAPI and other immigrant women with greater independence through work-from-home opportunities.
The goal of this program is to teach women a technical and home-based trade skill that is sustainable and income-generating. Upon graduating from the course, every woman will be provided with a sewing machine to ensure she has what she needs to launch her home-based business.
Program Need:
Stitch with SACSS will provide a unique home-based work opportunity for immigrant women, who want to be financially independent but are unable to achieve this goal because of childcare or other responsibilities that require them to stay at home.
The program also is designed to address a gap in small businesses that cater to customized tailoring for certain cultural needs and ethnic preferences. Many in our community require tailoring and fabrication of traditional clothing – such as saree blouses, saree skirts, salwar/tunics, etc. While there are a few tailors that offer ethnic clothing, they tend to be prohibitively expensive and are few and far between.
Training at Stitch with SACSS will be culturally-relevant and provided by staff, who understand the unique socio-cultural backgrounds of the women participants to ensure the women are appropriately supported. Stitch with SACSS will also connect women with other tailoring and relevant small businesses to promote employment retention.
Home-based sewing and tailoring services are a popular and sustainable source of income, especially in the difficult, post-pandemic economic conditions that prevail in SACSS’ community in New York City. Furthermore, the concept of a home-based sewing/tailoring business is very popular in immigrant communities. Often, immigrant women sew their own clothing because it is difficult to find a tailor that can sew traditional clothing that immigrant women can wear on a daily basis, and which are affordable. Many South Asian and AAPI women have had some initial experience with hand-based sewing that, if bridged with professional training and business development skills, can lead to the creation of successful, sustainable, small home-based businesses and much-needed income-generation.
Program Goals:
Stitch with SACSS will train 60+ women through four 10-week course offerings over a 12-month period. A professionally qualified sewing instructor will be hired to train the women in the following skill-sets:
- Sewing
- Pattern making and Fabric Cutting
- Making a garment from start to finish
- Alterations
Program starts Spring 2023