The Socially Responsible Sweatshop of Kent

09/01/2026

SRS UPDATE 9/1/2026:

I don’t know about you, but it sure seemed like summer just flew by. We have been trying to build up stock for Emily's Soaps Barn Sale, the Give Thanks, Give Back - Showcase & Quilt SaleNovember 14th event, and the Haymaker Farmers' Market holiday markets.

Our volunteers have been working very hard too, at home, in the workshop, at the market, and at other events, because they want to help ease the pain of food insecurity in the community.

We need help making more items! If you have time to sew a few things at home or in the workshop your help is really needed.

Currently, we need to make baby bibs with a bigger neck, soup bowl cozies, aprons, knitwear, and a few other items.

If the fabric and batting for the cozies appears not to fit, just rotate the batting so you won’t need to cut it. If you happen to have the original plastic cozies pattern please return it to the pattern box. It has been missing for a while.

We have beautiful yarn if you can knit a few things at home. Most is wool or other natural fibers. We also have plenty of cotton yarn.

We are going to stretch our measurement and cutting skills in order to make wool throws for the cold weather. We have plenty of wool fabric. These will make wonderful winter gifts.

We also still have wool capes that need to be turned into handbags. Let’s make six different patterns and see how they are received. Does anyone have simple but stylish and functional purse pattern ideas for the solid purple wool?

Marilyn has been coming in regularly and tidying up our fabrics.
We sure make a mess when we are involved in the creative process, but it just takes a few minutes to fold up a few things that get taken out. If you need help replacing bins, please ask.

Marilyn is going through all of the bins. Many are picked over and can be put to better use.

All of the uncut flannel is in the area with the NPTs now.
Cotton prints and solids will eventually be in the same general area.
Denim is sorted by stretchy and cotton.
The fabric on and under the tables and in the closet in the cutting room can be used for meditation pillows, yoga mat bags, and other projects.
The fabric covered by the orange tablecloth is for the reversible and zipper bags only.

Please use the scissors in the plastic box with the blue lid in the closet. The Gingher’s in the cutting room are for Eric and Frank only. They need to stay in the box labeled Eric and Frank.
Carolyn has brought in more larger surgical steel scissors for fussy cutting that you should try. They are sharp too!

We have zippers and buttons that are currently in the cutting room that need to be sorted. Zippers are sorted by size and buttons can be sorted by size and color.

Carol and Sue are not feeling well. Consider calling or messaging them to let them know that you care.

I hope to see you at the workshop even if it has been a while.
Your help is needed!

-Mary Ann

08/29/2026

08/29/2026

Our next community event! November 14, 2026 Christ Episcopal Church Kent Ohio

07/27/2026

This is still a current need!

**MARKET VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED**

Are you part of an org or group of friends that wants to do community service?
Can you create a team that we can collaborate with every weekend? or even a designated week each month?

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The **Market Hardware Team** would look similar to this:
Volunteers would need a vehicle that could transport the tent, tables, racks, chairs, and be physically able to set up and tear down these items. The back of a Subaru or minivan or covered truck would work.

Friday afternoon/evening: pick up tent , tables, racks, chairs from designated storage area.

Saturday morning have the market booth set up no later than 7:45am
Saturday 1:00pm, take down booth and return items to designated storage area.

The Team would ideally have a minimum of two people, three would be better.

Two teams that swap weekends would be great., one each weekend of the month would also be great.

Consistency and reliability are required.

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IF YOU HAVE A RELIABLE TEAM, PLEASE CONTACT US!
[email protected]
Subject - MARKET HARDWARE TEAM

07/27/2026

SRS UPDATE 7/27/2026

There is some wonderful news to share!
In addition to funding the WIC program at the Haymaker Farmers’ Market and the PMHA farmers markets this month—where fresh, locally grown produce is delivered directly to housing sites serving some of our community’s most vulnerable neighbors—we were also able to donate $5,000 each to Kent Social Services and the Ravenna Center of Hope last week.

Your hard work is making a real difference. We hope to continue increasing our support for these organizations because the need remains great. Their pantry shelves are becoming bare.

Kent Social Services recently requested simple but essential items such as jelly for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ramen noodles.

We always try to direct our funding toward protein-rich foods and fresh produce whenever possible. Every bag sewn, every quilt stitched, every item created, and every hour volunteered helps put nutritious food on someone’s table. Thank you for making that possible.

Thanks to Brad, who carefully serviced each machine, we were also able to donate several sewing machines, along with thread, needles, and scissors, to the International Institute of Akron. Kevin Walker, Vice President of Outreach Advocacy and Community Outreach, shared that every one of these machines will be used to help refugees and immigrants learn skills and build brighter futures. It is wonderful to know these machines will continue serving others for many years to come.

Our markets have continued to be successful as we build our inventory, and special orders have kept everyone busy. Leslie has been away enjoying time with her daughter. Leslie often handles special orders but we have been covering special orders while she is away. We appreciate her dedication and hope she enjoys every minute of her visit.

Special shout out to Theresa who has been loading her car and covering the market. Theresa and Linda make sure that the bags are restocked and the closet is organized.

Many volunteers are trying to get our workshop cleaned up and organized. There is a plan in place so we will give our wonderful space some attention.

Rick and Rita have been especially thankful for the volunteers who have been cutting patterns for their bags. Every pattern that is cut ahead of time allows Rick to spend more time sewing—and hopefully gives him a little extra time to relax as well. Thank you to everyone who has pitched in to help.

Check out Rick and his copilot enjoying the breeze.

We’re happy to report that Frank continues to recover well from his shoulder surgery. He has already stopped by both the workshop and the market with his family. It won’t be long before we see him back at the workshop doing what he enjoys, and we know many smiling faces will be there to welcome him.

Finally, with mixed emotions, we want to let everyone know that Karoon will be leaving near the end of August. She has been such a special part of our workshop family, and we will miss her dearly.

Please join us for an Open House on Monday, August 10 date change at the workshop as we celebrate Karoon and wish her all the best in her next adventure. Bring a favorite snack or beverage to share, enjoy some time together, and help us give this truly remarkable person the heartfelt sendoff she deserves.

As always, thank you for your generosity, your hard work, and your caring hearts. Together we are making a lasting difference in our community.

-Mary Ann

07/26/2026

Last week, because of our supporters,
we were able to deliver checks in the amount of:

$5,000 to Ravenna Center of Hope
$5,000 to Kent Social Services

They still need much more!

Please give what you can when you can. Challenge your friends and neighbors to do the same.

The volume of families who cannot afford food is increasing exponentially and rapidly.

To get more bang for your buck, shop at the Haymaker Farmers' Market and ask if there are any Community Dollars available, take your SNAP card to the market cashier to increase your purchasing power, and buy amazing things from The Socially Responsible Sweatshop where every dollar you spend is donated to fight hunger.

07/22/2026

Thanks for the story and your amazing talents, Brad Bolton

07/15/2026

TELL US WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU REALLY REALLY WANT!

What would YOU like to see made by the Socially Responsible Sweatshop?

What has been your most favorite item we have made?

We welcome all ideas, but what we make must match the supplies we have in stock.

All our supplies are donated by very generous people and businesses to keep them out of landfills. We do not purchase supplies, all our sales are donated to fight food insecurity.

05/21/2026

SWEATSHOP UPDATE 5/21/2026:

The workshop will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Enjoy the beautiful weather we were dreaming about back in February and take some time to relax and recharge.
We set up at the market on Saturday, but the forecast changed quickly. After checking the radar, we decided to pack up early so our products wouldn’t be damaged by the weather. Even so, we still had a successful day of sales. Thank you to Jennifer and Denise for coming early and waiting for Linda so they could all unload together at the church afterward. Your help was greatly appreciated.
We’ve been noticing some seasonal trends at the market. Right now, customers are especially interested in our swim bags, which are perfect for storing wet bathing suits after a swim. Our running belts have also been popular for carrying phones, keys, and other essentials while gardening, walking, or traveling—especially when pockets just can’t be trusted. We make them from four-way stretch knit fabric in many sizes and colors.
Rick’s and Rita’s bags continue to be very popular, along with Chris’s and Sue’s denim messenger bags made from upcycled denim collected at Tallmadge High School. Their designs are always creative and attractive—you never know what Chris and Sue will dream up next. Georgia’s new boho bag, made with colorful summer fabrics, is another eye-catching addition to our collection.
The community really came out for the Restore Recycling Extravaganza. Thanks to the generosity of so many donors, we now have an abundance of beautiful fabrics and yarn. Missy will soon be making more dryer balls now that we have the materials we need.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sorting through our bins, and I’m sure we’ll rediscover supplies and treasures we had forgotten about that we can put to good use right away.
Chris is back from Florida, which means I can once again send along the many creative ideas that Sunny shares with me. We sure missed Chris while she was away!
Brad has also returned from his adventure out west, and I can’t wait to hear his stories. The mountain of sewing machines waiting for repair didn’t faze him at all. He repaired our special serger and even brought back parts for another favorite machine. Now we can return to our “serging meditations” while making more not-paper towels.
Eric is back too and has already cut out many new projects for us, including aprons made from 1950s gas station tablecloths. Theresa is sewing the aprons, and they are turning out beautifully. Camille made several egg-collecting aprons after Leslie painstakingly created the pattern. Once again, we are seeing collaboration at its very best.
Carol and Judy are finishing the soup bowl cozies that Frank cut out. We are still looking for the missing plastic cozy pattern, so if you happen to know where it is, please place it back in the pattern box.
Devi will be featuring our yoga products at an event in Hudson later this summer, and she is also learning how to make catnip mice. Hopefully, we’ll have plenty of powerful locally grown catnip ready in time.
If anyone needs baby gifts for a shower, we now have adorable little lovey dolls thanks to Joan. We also have a variety of 100% cotton blankets and stroller quilts, with Marilyn pitching in to help as well. Diane has the soft Poly-fil at her house, so if you think you’ll need some, please let me know about a week in advance.
Throughout the summer, we will need help at the Haymaker Farmers’ Market—whether it’s setting up early, assisting customers from 9–11, or helping pack up afterward. Even an hour of help makes a difference, so please let me know if you are able to lend a hand.
I hope to hear from you or see you soon at the workshop or the market.
—Mary Ann

05/12/2026

SRS UPDATE 5/12/2026

Today we had a very successful market. It was KSU graduation weekend, so we welcomed many new customers to the market. The weather was decent, and we had a lovely display of our products.
The rack that Rick made is really working out well for the bags, aprons, and confetti skirts. We have been using a wagon and tables for the kitchen, baby/children’s, and useful items sections, and we have been placing NPTs and meditation pillows on the foldable benches.
Sometimes it is quite muddy where we set up, but we always manage to work around it together.
We will need help staffing the market on Saturdays. We set up the tent and rack at 7:45, so we need two people to help place products on the tables and racks at 8:15 sharp so we can be ready for customers by 9:00. This part is so important because setting up truly takes many hands. The good news is that setup volunteers get to shop early while vendors still have the best variety of products available after unloading.
As the weather warms up and customer traffic increases, we could also use one additional person to stay until 11:00. That may be happening very soon.
Jennifer and Denise arrive around noon to help pack up and load my truck.
Next Saturday, I need someone to help from 8:00–11:00 and also someone who can pack their vehicle on Friday with our blue bags. I will bring the tent, rack, and tables in my truck.
I also need someone to work at the market for me on Saturday, May 23rd, from 8:15–1:00.
In addition, I need someone to cover opening the workshop on Sundays, May 31st and June 14th, from 12:30–3:00.
Please let me know if you can help cover any of these times. Your support truly makes everything possible.
We have had incredible turnouts of volunteers at the workshop, and it has been wonderful to see so many people giving their time and talents. We have also been especially careful with the machines this past week. It is important that we use the correct bobbins for each machine or they will not sew properly. If you run into a problem, please ask so we can figure it out together. In the meantime, we hope Brad is enjoying his much-needed vacation.
We also have a few new volunteers sewing at home, which is helping us offer customers such an incredible variety of products. Every stitch, every hour, and every helping hand adds something meaningful to what we do.
A special thank you to Theresa and David for going to Hartville to drop off four large bags so we could make more space again.
Judy M. and I will be going to the Restore on Wednesday from 4:00–7:00 P.M. for the Recycle Extravaganza. This will be our first time attending, and we hope to meet many community members who may want to donate items we need such as fabric, yarn, denim, and other useful materials.
Everything you do to help the Socially Responsible Sweatshop truly makes a difference. Your time, energy, creativity, and kindness help us continue supporting efforts to feed people in our community. Thank you for your dedication, your commitment, and the heart you bring to this work every single day.
-Mary Ann