We brought a skilled one-woman small business into the office for a mending day. Employees could bring an article of clothing to be fixed and/or participate in a short lunchtime stitching tutorial. Some did both! We wanted to spotlight the importance of fixing rather than discarding damaged garments and give employees a chance to extend the life of their clothing.
Project Goals
Focus Area
Circular Economy
Waste Management & Resources
What gave you the courage to start?
This was an easy one – we thought it would be fun and a change of pace from most employee events that happen in the office.
The Outcome
Audrey Danser of Salvage Studio SF fixed 22 garments and 12 people learned a new mending stitch.
The Impact
The employees who participated got a dose of inspiration that they, too, can mend damaged clothing. Those who didn't had FOMO and the whole company expanded the notion of what kind of events make employees want to come together. Our community also got educated about the issue of textile waste as a climate problem.
The Biggest Challenge
We had the skillful support of our Workplace Experience Team. They coordinated the event and kept everything running smoothly, so thankfully, we didn't run into challenges.
The Biggest Learning
This type of event really struck a chord with people I didn't expect! Where I had thought this kind of event would be very niche, there were more people interested than we could accommodate. I learned that there's serious interest in this kind of wholesome, empowering, and meditative activity.
Most Enjoyed
It didn't require a heavy lift or extensive education to get people on board. Because they were already excited, it opened up the possibility of leaning in to more events like this. We're currently considering hosting a mending office hour ourselves as a casual team-building activity on a more regular basis.