Drape Repurposing Project
When the drapes in the Endicott Municipal Building were replaced, the administration didn’t want to see them discarded into the landfill. Instead, the drapes have been donated to community groups to be repurposed.
“I remembered an organization called The Sleeping Bag Project and began contacting group leaders in our area,” said the Mayor’s Secretary, Alicia Thoennes.
The Sleeping Bag Project invites quilters across the country to make simple sleeping bags from recycled fabrics to be distributed for free to the homeless. Nancy Stephens with the Community Baptist Church has received 35 drapes and works with a group of friends to make both sleeping bags and reusable bags from the drapes. Fran Hill from Primitive Methodist Church distributed more than a dozen drapes to have made into sleeping bags and reusable shopping bags for Catholic Charities Food Pantry.
The village also reached out to RISE and on November 6, 2020, the village delivered drapes which will be reused. RISE provides domestic violence counseling and residential programs.
Drapes vary in length roughly between 95” and 87” long by 91” wide. Each drape yields one and one-half squares – fabric can be pieced together to create a 7’x7’ square to form the outside of a sleeping bag.
There are still a few drapes available.
Contact Alicia Thoennes at mayorsec@endicottny.com or 607-757-2421
For more information about The Sleeping Bag Project visit http://www.thesleepingbagproject.org/