Program Donations to Help Kids With a Fashionable Future in Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - There may be a career in fashion in the future for many young people in Santa Barbara that previously never considered it as a option.
The Restorative Justice Education Center with Faith Based Alliance and The Wakefield Believe Big Charitable Foundation are collaborating.
A $2,500.00 donation has been made to the Restorative Justice Education Center with Faith Based Alliance & Menchaca's Embroidery Youth Project (NBCC). This program will help empower and educate our youth in fashion design, art, sowing, embroidery and entrepreneurship. It helps educate and empower our at risk and financially challenged community.
Pastor Jerry Menchaca with the New Beginning Community Church said, "What we are doing here is adding layers to these children's lives we are educating them. We are empowering them and giving them the opportunity to learn something that will stay with them for a lifetime."
The young people have expressed an interest in clothing design, repairs, material reuse and making larger dreams come true in the area of fashion, costumes and cutting edge designs for the future.
Sponsors of this project are, Grant House Sewing Machines, Menchaca's Embroidery, New Beginning Community Church, Our Lady Of Mount Carmel, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, See International, the Santa Barbara Zoo, Espero Wines, Bethel Church, The Methodist Church, and the Salvation Army of Santa Barbara.
Thursday at La Casa de la Raza on the Santa Barbara Eastside, Wakefield presented the check for the program and said, "these young people they want to start sewing they want to start making clothes they believe if they learn how to sew they can start businesses. They might even want to get into the fashion industry." He is using the new foundation for positive community programs, mainly for young people to set them on a successful life and employment path.
Former Santa Barbara City Councilman Grant House with Grant House Sewing Machines has Grant House been buying machines the kids can easily learn on. He said, "this is a skill they can use for the rest of their lives. It also makes it so they have a chance to be with their community other kids."
He has seen programs like this have success on many levels when he was on the City Council. "They themselves have a sense of they can do this and that will transfer into the future. It really makes a difference."
One of the kids ready to start sewing sees his grandmother sew at home. Gabriel Lazcano said, "she is a seemstress, she makes and fixes clothes dresses and everything you can think of. " He said he wanted to help her.
Also on site is a collaborative art program with a large mural kids can work on together. Combined with sewing it gives them ways to express their creativity going forward.
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