top of page
SewGreen Banner (2)_edited.jpg

SEWGREEN'S INTERNSHIP FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
 VIDEO RECAP

WEEK 1

Laura Allen-Pannell, SewGreenRochester's Board President

“The community needs these internships. Our youth need these internships. We’d love to have a full-year program where we can offer someone the opportunity to gain some skills and bring something into their lives that’s been missing. We know that we have an opportunity to lift people up.” - Laura

“I really, truly think that what’s special about SewGreen is the relationships that happen. When you walk into the store, you’re not walking in thinking you’re here to create new friendships, but what you gain is really the relationships first and the learning and the shopping are secondary.” - Laura

WEEK 2

Georgia Carney, SewGreenRochester's Founder

“Interns design and implement a community project. It is about their growing leadership.  They do not often get that opportunity. I want them to become leaders in their community.” - Georgia

“A lot about our program is using sewing to teach and to empower people. There is something wonderful about a young person to teach another young person. For one thing, they cement their own knowledge, and the other thing I think is that it is just fun for a kid to learn from a kid.” - Georgia

WEEK 3

Rachel, 2021 Summer Intern at SewGreenRochester

“With another intern, we decided to make masks for the community. We had to do things like I never did before. We had to call places ourselves... It was a new experience for me. Being able to reach out… Trying to formalize this plan and actually make it come into fruition was a pretty big accomplishment.” - Rachel

“I am now in College and the first semester, I had a lot of stress because my major was a bit difficult for me. So I was able to use my knitting skills I learned during my internship. It helped me calm down and relieve my stress. And I also got out of my shell and was able to talk to my professors in person instead of over email or just struggle through it. Talking to people, this is something I have been able to carry on after my internship.” - Rachel

WEEK 4

Josefina, SewGreen's Operations Manager

“Internships are important for young people: they have a job, earn a salary, learn new skills and the shop provides so many things. They have a schedule. They learn basic people skills from saying Hello to being polite and cheerful, to being helpful. They learn to run the store, be a cashier and manage money.  And they give so many things to the shop. It’s a perfect combination.” - Josefina

 
“It is enriching for everyone, for the customers who get to know these kids, the kids who meet other people from all over the city, all the colors of the rainbow, different languages, different ages, young kids, older men and women. It is a rainbow, it is!” - Josefina
 

WEEK 5

Camelia, Community Service intern

“I ended up bonding with the other interns really quickly. It was just us three and we became really close. It taught me that it is not hard to make the first step in the conversation. Say: "Hi... Hello... How are you?..." It is important to connect in the moment with the people around you because you could be teaching them things and helping them with something that will help them for a long time.” - Camelia

 
“When I was there, I was doing hybrid schooling. It was a stressful time. I was not doing very well mentally. But going to SewGreen was a reprieve from the day, a time to relax, where I could just talk, whether it was about something serious or not, just chatting… It was a slip into peaceful paradise.” - Camelia

WEEK 6

About SewGreen's Fashion Camp

“Our Fashion Camp is for people to learn to make a sketch and make a pattern or put together patterns, pick out fabrics... I want them to learn every component of getting a fashion look together. It is not about restyling. It really is coming from the roots of it, the concept, right through the execution.” - Georgia

 
“What I love about this camp is that kids are more brave and adventurous. They will draw anything and try to do it. And the adults are more timid but they find the kids inspiring and they are great to encourage them. It is amazing to be a part of this experience. Exhausting and amazing!” - Georgia

WEEK 7

Melissa Dawson, Assistant Professor of Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology

“There has been a gradual relationship between RIT and SewGreen that has grown overtime. Going forward I am looking to do more formal projects between my RIT Design students and SewGreen interns, maybe something with Fashion Camp. The more we reach out as RIT people enjoying the community, and the more the community can join with us, we stay grounded and we learn more. It is such a two-way street for learning and growth.” - Melissa

“One thing that’s really struck me about this campaign so far is hearing from the interns some of the skills they learn as interns that they bring to college. A lot of students nowadays are not comfortable talking to other people. They do not have these communication skills. They don’t have that ease of interaction with other people. They have a hard time putting themselves in other people’s shoes. What I learned from the past videos is that they learn all that through the internship program. Each time you get out of your comfort zone, you can learn new things. These are lifelong skills.” - Melissa

WEEK 8

Summer, 2021 Summer Intern at SewGreenRochester

“I was taught how to knit and cross-stitching, yarn spinning. I learned a lot of things like ordinary people of my age would not learn how to do. We had this one thing where we taught kids, a two week summer program for children, to teach them how to sew. I learned to work with children, be patient with them, teach them and guide them along. Problem solving is a thing that I picked up working in that store” - Summer

“When I was in school, when it came to group projects, I was usually the one to take the first step, getting everybody involved, everyone has a say. Even now when it comes to work, I am the same way. If I know something has to be done, I am going to be the first to try to get it done. If I need help, I am going to be the one who asks for help. I am going to get everyone involved. I am going to make sure everyone does their part… If I did not have that experience at SewGreen, back then, today, at 21 years-old, I would not be capable of that.” - Summer

bottom of page