SUPPORT

Textile Upcycling Project (TUP) for Washington State

The Textile Upcycling Project (TUP) is fiscally sponsored by the Seattle Good Business Network and managed by Lisa Hilbert of Redesign Collective.

We believe that every bit helps in building momentum towards major change. No dream is too small, many hands make light work and one person can make a difference. The Textile Upcycling Project (TUP) doesn’t just help prevent textile waste, it provides opportunities, encourages new ways of thinking & working, and sets up systems that help partner organizations thrive through doing their part for cities across Washington State.

TEXTILE UPCYCLING PROJECT

The TUP Public Participation Grant will support community organizations with resources to launch textile waste prevention initiatives across WA state. The Public Participation Grant ensures we can expand our mission of creating a more sustainable world, starting with vulnerable communities in the State of Washington that are disproportionately impacted by climate change and face financial barriers.  

12 Community Partner Organizations will receive:

CURRICULUM & RESOURCES

 Upcycling lesson plans, forms and marketing materials, and “road maps” to launch projects.

FUNDING & SUPPLIES

Partners receive stipends for participation, plus a budget for sourcing materials needed

FULL-SERVICE PLANNING

Project co-design with ongoing mentorship. We help implement the project or hire a local teacher

2024 PILOT PROJECT - MOTHER AFRICA

We piloted TUP in 2024 with our community partner Mother Africa in Kent, WA. They provide key services for refugee and immigrant communities. Mother Africa program leaders wanted to integrate sewing and arts into existing youth and senior programming. We learned about their needs, developed lesson plans, sourced and delivered materials including teaching workshops.

Mother Africa Summer Camp students and leaders work with TUP program

70 youth age 5-17 learned to upcycle at their Summer Camp program. They learned hand sewing basics and projects diverted textile waste.

Resilient Elders Knitting

We sourced yarn and knitting tools from creative reuse partner Remakery for the launch of the Resilient Elders fiber arts program.

Sewing Machines

We sourced two sewing machines, provided tools and upcycled textiles for Resilient Elders to create bags and pillows for their homes.

Thank you for considering the Textile Upcycling Project (TUP) as a way to reduce waste and develop textile upcycling programs throughout Washington state.