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Get to know your neighbors: checking in with the East End Cooperative Ministry's Carole Baily. Click here to read the article!

On Friday, September 17th at the Westin Convention Center Hotel, Carole Bailey accepted her award as Pittsburgh Business Time's 2021 Outstanding CEOs and Top Executives. Bailey became East End Cooperative Ministry's CEO in September of 2018 after nearly two decades in financial leadership roles at local nonprofits. As President and CEO, her main focus today is her passion for helping others. Inspired by her staff and people who have worked in the social service industry through the on-going pandemic, Bailey is also passionate about doing anything we can collectively do to help people in need. Despite the economic challenges of the pandemic and its effects on the food pantry and community kitchen (which tripled in numbers), EECM's shelter and recovery house only experienced one case of COVID-19. EECM staff continues to celebrate Bailey's much deserved 2021 Outstanding CEOs award as we proudly move forward with the organization's mission to change the lives of people facing the impacts of poverty. We thank you for your support in offering opportunity, transformation, and hope for those in our community. You can read more about Carole Bailey and her Pittsburgh Business Time's 2021 Outstanding CEOs and Top Executives award at https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2021/09/11/outstanding-ceos-carole-bailey-east-end.html.

Here at EECM, volunteers are the heart of what we do and how we serve the food-insecure and people dealing with homelessness and addiction. EECM CEO Carole Bailey welcomed 11 very generous and hardworking volunteers from the Eat’n Park Corporation. They got right to work with painting, gardening, and serving in our Pantry and Kitchen. Our staff was ever so grateful for our Eat’n Park friends being here, and of course leaving behind plenty of SMILEY Cookies! If your corporation is interested in sending a volunteer group to EECM please contact Tracy Hudson at tracyh@eecm.org

EECM’s SewForward is a cut and sew studio providing high quality small batch manufacturing, while providing job training and employment opportunities for people facing barriers in the workforce. Our studio works with local businesses in Pittsburgh. One such local business we have been working with is Brooke Lagrand’s PackPack. PackPack produces durable kid packs designed to hold unique treasures and last throughout their childhood. PackPack recently introduced MatchMatch, a matching adult sized pack for caregivers! Brooke and her family recently moved to Pittsburgh as it encapsulates an active crafting community, thousands of acres of green space, and the vibrancy of a big-city but small-town feel. PackPack “empowers [its users] to explore wonder in the world with packs that are beautifully + responsibly made. All of [their] products are sourced + crafted in the USA with dignified labor.” PackPack adhering to their mission of sustainably sourced materials by working with local Pittsburgh businesses such as Commonwealth Press and EECM’s Sewforward Studio enables PackPack to produce durable, environmentally and kid-friendly alternatives to large corporation products. EECM’s Sewing Program Manager, Sydney Hardiman explains that “every project we take on, helps us continue our job training in the sewing industry. We work to fight poverty while improving the local economy. This is manufacturing that supports both EECM and the community.” To learn more about EECM’s Sewforward program and history, visit eecm.org/sewforward and to learn more about PackPack, visit packpackworld.com

Summer Camp is in full swing at East End Cooperative Ministry! Our 5 week Summer Camp works to address what young people in at-risk and disadvantaged communities need educationally, emotionally, behaviorally, culturally, communally, and through extracurricular activities. Summer Day Camp programming focuses on the following: Career Awareness and Workforce Development; Arts and Humanities; Physical Education; Diversion Programs; Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Prevention; Educational Services; Life-Skills; and Family Support. We work with these young people to provide overarching life-skills and developmental programming so they stay in school, avoid drugs and alcohol, have pathways away from violence, learn to value themselves, are future minded, value education and learning, and can plan for future success. The children benefit from a safe learning environment with nutritious breakfast, lunch and snacks. In addition to athletic and arts activities, our day camp includes life skill lessons, field trips, reading clubs, horseback riding, and rock climbing. After five weeks of immersion in positive developmental activities, the camp ends with a production, created by the children, in which the campers sing, dance, and perform skits to show an audience of friends, family, and community members the progress they made in their talents and outlooks while at camp. Parents are invited to attend the production on August 5. Please contact Nina Dumas (ninad@eecm.org) with any questions about our Summer Camp program and how your child can be involved in our programming. Learn more about our other programs here: eecm.org/childrenandyouth and support EECM at eecm.org/give today.

East End Cooperative Ministry CEO Carole Bailey visited Luminari’s CAMP DELICIOUS this morning to thank campers and instructors for preparing and donating gourmet meals to EECM's food insecure residents. KDKA TV2 (CBS Pittsburgh) came too and will have the story on their evening broadcasts. Check out the 1 minute video they made here! QED Cooks’ Chris Fennimore led the campers in making the meals, including how to bake French baguettes. Luminari’s Hilda Fu, Sheila Hyland, and the campers agreed that donating the finished meals to EECM made Camp Delicious all the more rewarding this year. Luminari Founder Hilda Fu, EECM CEO Carole Bailey, Luminari Operations Manager Sheila Hyland, and EECM Director of Development and Public Relations Michael Bartley Camp Delicious students learning how to prepare vegetables

SewForward is a cut and sew studio providing high quality small batch manufacturing, while providing job training and employment opportunities for people facing difficulty in the workforce. SewForward is part of the East End Cooperative Ministry. SewForward loves to help small businesses grow. Our monthly newsletter, Creative Crossroads, provides tips to help you improve your business. In This Issue We Explore: What's the Right Time to Buy New Equipment How do you know when it's the right time to buy equipment for your business. Part 2 of our 4-part series about equipment upgrades. Sewing Tip Sewing supplies in home improvement stores. Beating the Competition Get customers to buy from YOU not your competitors. What's the Right Time to Buy New Equipment When I first started my drapery business, I was sewing on my mother’s 30-year-old Kenmore machine. When it stopped working correctly, I upgraded to a better home machine. Finally, I took the plunge and purchased several industrial sewing machines. My business product changed from home sewer to professional almost overnight. It was a great decision, and even now, I still use a couple of the machines for my sewing hobby. Many small businesses think they are ready to invest in new equipment. If they just have this one new thing, their product will sell itself. My business was growing enough that it was the right decision to buy, but not everyone is in the right place – right now. Here are 5 questions you should ask yourself before you invest in a large equipment upgrade. Can you afford the investment? In business, it always comes back to money. If you have been saving for this new purchase and it won’t set you back financially then go for it. If you are going to borrow financing or put it on a credit card, ensure you have enough work coming in to cover the cost. How quickly do you need the equipment? Can it wait a couple months or do you need it right now. Is your business suffering without this upgrade or is it something that is part of your long-term growth goals. What do you need this for? Is it going to be your primary equipment or is it just a backup if something breaks? Does it have multiple uses and if not, can you still do your production without it? Will it really improve your product and production speed or is just something nice to have? How many times will you use it? Will it be part of everyday production, or are you purchasing it for just one job. There is nothing wrong with buying the equipment for a single job if it will not be a financial burden, but you at least want this single job to cover the cost of the new equipment. If you can’t raise the price of the job to cover the cost, find out if you can sell it to recoup some profit. Alternatively, maybe you can now promote your new production capability and bring in a new type of client. Can you try using it before you buy? Is it returnable if you don’t like it? If you’ve never used this type of equipment before, do you know someone who will let you try out their equipment. Maybe it’s more work to use than you thought or won’t accomplish what you are hoping it will. You should never just jump into buying new equipment. Take the time to answer the above questions and if you’re ready to buy, go for it. Then purchase the best equipment you can afford. This is your business; it’s time to invest in its future. Sewing Tip: Sewing Supplies in Home Improvement Stores All sewers are problem solvers. Working out a difficult pattern issue or creating a new way to sew something. Those same problem-solving skills lead us to look outside the typical sewing stores when looking for supplies. Your local home improvement store is a fantastic resource for items for your sewing room. Extra-Long Metal Rulers: There’s something so satisfying about being able to stretch a ruler across the full length of your fabric. Lowe’s sells metal rulers in 3 ft., 4 ft., and 6 ft. lengths. With each priced under $12.00 why not get them all. Magnetic Bowls: Don’t you hate it when you drop a bowl full of pins and they scatter? Large magnetic bowls for screws are fantastic for storing pins. They come in different sizes and shapes, but the 5 ½” one will easily hold two boxes of pins. The best part; when you knock the bowl over, the bulk of the pins stay in the bowl. Magnetic Telescoping Tools: If you do drop your pin bowl, a magnetic telescoping pick up tool is a back saver. Get a little one to pick up individual pins and a big one to get them all at once. Electric Conduit Piping and Closet Rod Hangers: Build your own fabric rack with extra strong metal conduit piping and closet rod holders. The piping is strong enough to hold a 100-yard roll of fabric. Homasote® for Cutting Tables: Homasote® is the brand name for sound barrier boards. Sized 4 ft. x 8 ft. It makes an excellent base layer for cutting and pressing tables. Beating the Competition I once knew a landscape designer who was aggressive in her sales. She told me a story about a potential client she was supposed to meet with. The prospect called her to reschedule her appointment, because she was meeting with another landscape designer around the same time. Instead of changing the appointment, the landscaper pretended she didn’t get the message, and showed up at her allotted time, which was right before the competitor’s. She made the sale. This may be a little over the top when it comes to beating the competition, but she got herself a client. Far too often, I hear comments from small business owners that sound like this, “Well if she wanted to work with me she wouldn’t be talking to anyone else.” “My prices are reasonable. Why is my client questioning them.” “I don’t even want to meet with her if she’s meeting with anyone else.” “I can’t believe they went with that franchise, my work is so much better.” My response to these types of comments is “Please! Give me a break!” Okay, maybe that’s my 14-year-old daughter talking, but you get the idea. Let's be blunt. You are not in the only person in business. There is a lot of competition out there, other small businesses, retail stores, and large companies. You aren’t selling in a vacuum and the competition won’t be going away. Why shouldn’t a client shop around and look at multiple options. If you were buying something that wasn’t an impulse purchase, you’d look for the best product for your money. First you have to find out why customers are even talking to the competition. All clients are looking to get the best deal they can, but that doesn't always mean the cheapest. They may be looking for the best price, or the best service, or the best design, or the best product for their budget. Maybe they are looking for the sales person they like the best, or someone who can best handle all aspects of the job for them. No matter what it is they want, it’s up to you to find out, and service them better than your competitors. If you want to sell your product or service, you have to know the competition and how to you can get the sale instead. How do you find out what prospects are looking for? ASK. In your initial contact, ask them, “What’s most important to you? If you don’t get a straight answer, you can still figure it out by following their verbal clues. If the client starts asking if they can purchase the supplies themselves, they are most likely budget conscious. If the conversation steers towards how they had work done before, but weren’t crazy about the design, fabric or trim, they are looking for someone to help them find the perfect design. If they tell you a story about how they purchased a product that broke and the company wouldn’t fix it, they are interested in service. By finding out what’s most important to the prospect you can tailor your sales to their needs, beating a competitor who may be only selling based on price. Know your competition. At a bare minimum, you should be aware of who else is selling the same products/services in your area and who the online competition is. Find out what your competitors are selling. Is it the exact same product or is it a variation? If it’s a retail store, visit it and see how things are arranged, what the customer service is like, and how the product is being promoted. Ask people what they think of the store and read online reviews. Now, do the same for your online competition. By knowing what your competitors are selling you easily address potential questions by prospects. When you talk with a prospect for the first time, don’t be afraid to ask if they are talking with someone else. If you’re lucky they will give you an honest answer, and if you’re really lucky, they will tell you who. But, it’s crucial to never bad mouth the competition. Sell your product and service by what it can do for the customer, not how it’s so much better than the competition. Badmouthing, makes YOU look bad, not your competitors. If the customer asks you about the competition, be very neutral in your responses saying, “I don’t know them well enough to comment on it.” Or, “There are a hundred different ways to do this, none of them are wrong.” Some customers will ask you to compare your prices to someone else. If you know your prices are higher, be prepared to explain what sets your product/service apart. If your prices are actually lower, still explain the value you are providing. Know your product and be able to answer the client’s questions. Educate yourself on all your supplies and products and stay abreast of new techniques. Be able to confidentially talk about solutions for customer’s needs. If you can’t answer a question say, “let me get back to you.” Then, do so as soon as you can. By being knowledgeable about your industry and new ideas, you may be able to take on a challenging job that a competitor may have turned down. Have business policies and stick to them. By creating and sticking to business policies, you show professionalism and organization. If you sell a service always, have a contract or terms and conditions you have the client sign. If you sell a product, know what your return policies are, and how you handle damaged items. Don’t’ say no. If a client asks you if you can make something you’ve never done before, don’t say, “No I can’t do that, or I’ve never made that before.” By saying “No.”, you are giving your competition a chance to say “Yes.” If it’s something you really won’t make or sell, you can still help the client by saying, “I don’t offer, but I know someone who does. I’ll get you their contact info.” Then follow up immediately with the information. Be upbeat and friendly. No one wants to meet with Downer Debbie. The competitor in a good mood is most likely to win the job. I once went out on a sales call in the evening. At the time I was tired, it was raining, and I had a lot of work back at home to do. I really wasn’t in the mood to make the sale and I wasn’t nearly as friendly or upbeat as I could have been. It showed. I never clicked with the clients and didn’t get the job. If you don’t make the sale don’t be afraid to ask why. Think of it as a job interview. If you didn’t get hired for a job, you’d ask the employer for feedback for your next interview. Selling should be no different. Customer feedback, good or bad, can only help improve your business. End the conversation by saying “Thank you, if I can help you out in the future feel free to give me a call.” Who knows that sentence could get you a future job or a referral from the prospect. If you are in business, competitors will always exist. It’s up to you to know who they are, know your own business, and learn how to close the sale, so you can grow your business, not your competitors. About the Author: Sydney Hardiman is the Sewing Program Manager for SewForward, EECM's Cut and Sew Studio and workforce development program. She has over 20 years of experience in the design industry and is the author of over 50 articles about interior design. Enjoyed the article? Sign up for our newsletter here: Creative Crossroads Interested in working with SewForward? Phone: 412-345-7141 Email: SewForward@eecm.org www.eecm.org/Sewforward

SewForward is a cut and sew studio providing high quality small batch manufacturing, while providing job training and employment opportunities for people facing difficulty in the workforce. SewForward is part of the East End Cooperative Ministry. SewForward loves to help small businesses grow. Our monthly newsletter, Creative Crossroads, provides tips to help you improve your business. In This Issue We Explore: Make More Money with Less Work Learn how to serve more customers in less time by increasing your efficiency and reducing your production time. This is the first in a 4-part series about making more money by doing less work. Sewing Tip Aprons aren't just for cooking. Setting Realistic Expectations with Customers How to convince your customers it's worth the wait. Workroom Safety Eye and Lung Safety in the workroom. Increase Your Efficiency to Lower Production Time Rosemary runs a sewing business making and selling bags. Her business is picking up and more orders are starting to come in. She’s not making enough yet to bring in outside help, but she’s spending more time on the business side and she’s finding less time to manufacture her products. She wants to continue working, but needs to find a way todo more, faster. Do you recognize your business in this scenario? Many businesses started their business as a hobby and they still think of the products they are selling with the hobby mindset. “I’ll work on this in my free time.” “I’ll do a little bit here and there.” “I’ll just make a couple items at a time.” Unfortunately, this mentality won’t work when you’re running a business. You have a product, people are willing to purchase it from you, and they expect to receive it in a timely manner. What’s happened is your hobby has become a manufacturer, and in order for the business to continue to grow and make money you need to find techniques to make the manufacturing process more efficient while maintaining the same quality. While researching for this article I kept coming across the 5S best practices. A process created and followed by Toyota, these principles improve efficiency and waste in manufacturing. You maybe wondering how your home studio can implement the same ideas as one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers, but the principles are so simple, they can be followed by any size business. The 5 S Seiri: Sort Seiton: Systematize / straighten Seiso: Shine Seiketsu: Standardize Shitsuke: Sustain Steps 1 – 3: Seiri –Sort / Seiton – Systematize or Straighten / Seiso- Shine Whenever I’ve started a new job, I’ve always spent some time cleaning up the office/files or desk that I’ve inherited. I make the work and workspace into a place that works with me, not the person before me. Cleaning and sorting your workspace will help you clear your mind and give you a starting point for implementing the rest of the systems. Organizing isn’t just about getting rid of things. It’s about evaluating what you have, what you use, and how you use it. Review each work area as a separate system. When you are standing at the worktable what tools do you use the most? It doesn’t make sense to put your scissors, chalk, pencils and small measuring tools in a drawer, if you are going topfull them out and use them every day. Put them all in a small lidless bin, you keep within reach on your table. The same goes for how you work when using the sewing machines or other equipment. If you have only one pair of thread snippers and one pin bowl, and you have to move them every time you switch machines, you’re wasting time. Instead, buy scissors and a pin bowl for every machine. Attach the scissor to the machine if you have to. Speaking of pins, stop using pincushions. It takes extra time to take the pin out of your material and stick it in the cushion. Use large magnetic pin bowls instead. Include your machinery in your organizing. If you are holding on to 5 sewing machines that never get used, they are cluttering your space, let them go. Finally, stop buying storage that sits on the floor and gets in your way. Use your wall and ceiling space to hang bin holders, fabric racks and pegboard. Step 4: Seiketsu: Standardize After your space is clean and organized, it’s time to create systems for your workflow. Move your equipment and tables so they are in order of use and you minimize the number of steps you take to get to achene. If your most used machines are across the room from each other, rearrange them. Move your materials as little as possible. Don’t cut fabric, and then keep moving it around your space because it’s in your way. Cut, then move it to the next station, or put it in labeled bins until you reread to work with it. Don’t just throw things when they are output them in a neat pile in the direction you are going to sew them. If you remaking a product for the first time make several samples, to find the most efficient way. Not only will the samples help with efficiency, it will save money. You can muck up the samples, and when you start manufacturing, you will have fewer errors. As you refine your production, take notes to refer to the next time. Do your work in batches. Cut as many projects as you can before moving on to the serger or the straight stitch. Sew one seam for all the items, before clipping the threads. Cut your fabric in as many stacks as you can. Create templates for cutting or even for sewing placement. Recently, we had to sew labels on a large quantity of purses. Instead of measuring every time we were at the machine, we created cardboard templates that lined up with the edge of the fabric and put the labels next to that. Instead of cardboard use tape on your table to know where to stop sewing. Eliminate or reduce steps that take time away from production. Don’t change your presser foot or thread color constantly. Do all sewing with one foot before you change it. Sew as many items with a neutral thread color as you can. If you need to make a lot of piping or bias trips, do it for all the projects at the same time. Step 5: Sustain Organizing, templates, and systems won’t do you any good if you don’t use and update them. The last step in the 5S is to sustain your processes. Eliminate bottlenecks in the workflow by fixing machines, keeping hand tools sharp and clean, and ordering supplies before you run out. Continually evaluate your processes, eliminate those that aren’t working, improve the ones that are, and create new ones. Then schedule a day every 3 to 6 months to reorganize and review what you’ve done and what you can revamp for the future. Maybe it seems excessive to enact the same processes as a huge manufacturer like Toyota. But, improving efficiency in your manufacturing will give you more time to work on the business side of the business, and every Toyota had to start somewhere. Sewing Tip: Aprons Aren't Just for Cooking How many times a day do you walk around your sewing area, looking for a pen, your seam ripper, marking chalk or even a piece of scrap paper? Have you noticed that all your shirts are developing holes in the belly area? Cooks usually wear aprons to protect their clothes from grease and food spills. That’s not an issue for contractors and carpenters, instead they are using aprons (call it a tool belt all you want we know it’s an apron) to keep their tools within reach, while in the middle of a job. So why not wear an apron when sewing or crafting. It will protect your shirt, from those holes, which are occurring as you lean against your cutting table. Sometimes it’s the table itself, other times it’s your pants button rubbing against the fabric. It also keeps your clothes from catching and snagging on the corners of machines and tables. If you are trying to be more efficient in production, time yourself every time you have to look for your scissors or seam ripper. I bet that you waste at least 10 minutes a day doing this. Wearing an apron keeps all your most important tools exactly where you need them, when you need them. It also prevents that mysterious phenomenon of tools wandering away only to be found the next day under a piece of paper. So buy an apron today and save your shirts, and your time. Setting Realistic Expectations with Customers I’ve never been a very patient person, and the idea that I can get online orders in a day or two rocks my world. But, I’m buying things that are sitting on the shelf in a warehouse. That’s not the case when you are making a custom product. Today the delivery date for a new couch is up to 6 months, but people are still buying and are willing to wait for it. However, it seems that when it comes to small businesses customers often have unrealistic expectations about deadlines and will push you to try to meet them. I once had a customer who wanted her install on a specific date. Not for any particular reason, just because she didn’t want to wait. When I told her I had another install scheduled for that night, she asked if I could reschedule my other customer. My answer was a hard “NO!” Here are several tips to managing your customers’ expectations and keeping them happy. Under-estimate and over-deliver. Give your customer a longer lead-time than you really expect to finish and if you can deliver early, you have exceeded expectations. By giving a longer lead-time you also add in time for emergencies and unexpected delays. Discuss expectations at the beginning of the job not ½ way through. If a customer is unwilling to wait then it’s better to know that upfront, not after they’ve already placed the order. Never give a completion date, until all the materials are received. You can’t control the supply chain and a hold up in a material can push an entire project back. Monitor your suppliers and their ship dates. If an item is always on backorder, see if you can find a new supplier who keeps items in stock. Order your supplies early, so they are on hand when you are ready to start the project. Sell what you can get now. Don’t sell a fabric that won’t be in stock in when you need to order it. Be realistic about how many jobs you have. Know how long it takes to make your items and be able to state that with confidence. Stay in touch with your customers. If things get behind let them know. More info is better than silence. Don’t take on rush jobs unless you really can squeeze it in. Making one customer happy is going to make another one unhappy. If you get really behind, ask if you can deliver part of the order now and the rest later. You’re not going to make every customer happy, and some are still going to complain and try to push you to do their project first. Yet, if you set the same expectations for everyone and follow the above processes, you’ll be able to respond to them with confidence secure in the knowledge you’re doing your very best. Safety in the Workroom - Eyes and Lungs Eye Safety: It’s pretty tough to sew without the use of your eyes. Protect them as much as possible. Never sew over pins. A broken pin or needle can easily fly into the air and your eye, without warning. Always wear safety goggles when using your staple guns, saws and other power tools. If you don’t have a sink in, or close to, your workroom, invest in a bottle of saline to be able to wash out your eyes if you get a chemical in it. Lung Safety: Dust is a huge problem in all workrooms. For those with asthma and allergies it can be especially problematic. Try to vacuum the workroom every day or at least once a week. Carpeted floors are terrible for trapping dirt and dust and should be replaced with an easily cleaned hardwood, vinyl or tile floor. Look into buying air filters for the workroom and make sure you change the filters every 2 or 3 months. Always use spray glues and fabric protector sprays outside or in a very well ventilated area like a garage with the doors open. If you are retail and sell your own fabrics, consider looking into some new greener lines which are made with fewer or no chemicals. They help the environment, your clients, and most especially you. About the Author: Sydney Hardiman is the Sewing Program Manager for SewForward, EECM's Cut and Sew Studio and workforce development program. She has over 20 years of experience in the design industry and is the author of over 50 articles about interior design. Enjoyed the article? Sign up for our newsletter here: Creative Crossroads Interested in working with SewForward? Phone: 412-345-7141 Email: SewForward@eecm.org www.eecm.org/Sewforward

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SewForward is a cut and sew studio providing high quality small batch manufacturing, while providing job training and employment opportunities for people facing difficulty in the workforce. SewForward is part of the East End Cooperative Ministry. SewForward loves to help small businesses grow. Our monthly newsletter, Creative Crossroads, provides tips to help you improve your business. In This Issue We Explore: Overcoming Objections to Equipment Upgrades Are you fumbling along with outdated and improper equipment? This is the first in a 4-part series about equipment upgrades. Sewing Tip Use the right presser foot. Customize your Packaging Make your packaging as interesting as your product. Overcoming Objections to Equipment Upgrades A colleague who makes bags out of heavy canvas recently upgraded from a home sewing machine to an industrial. She said the new machine went through her heavy fabric like butter. This was the same way I felt when I stopped cutting upholstery foam with a kitchen knife and bought an electric carving knife. Sometimes in business, we fumble along with inadequate equipment and supplies never realizing how much an upgrade can improve our product and increase our efficiency. Unfortunately, we still hesitate because of money, or fear, or a lack of knowledge. How do you overcome these obstacles and move your business ahead? Price: My friend’s upgraded machine was a big purchase, but sometimes we are working with old outdated equipment and materials, when an upgrade is less than $100.00. When I first started my drapery business, I discovered an essential tool was a staple gun. I went out and purchased a hand staple gun. I very quickly discovered this was slow and ineffective. Then I bought an electric staple gun. Better for stapling valances to the wood headers, but this would never work for upholstering headboards. Finally, I saved my money and finally purchased an air compressor and air staple gun. These rocked my world. I upgraded in stages because money was tight, but sometimes the upgrades you need are inexpensive. A great pair of scissors for sewing can cost less than $50.00. A cordless drill for cabinet making is about $60.00. A soldering iron for jewelry is less than $30.00. If money is so tight you can’t even afford these small upgrades, then it’s time to raise your prices and put the extra money aside for the purchase. Knowledge: Sometimes businesses don’t upgrade their equipment because they don’t know how else to manufacture. Businesses aren’t working in a bubble; your competition has probably struggled with the same issues and possibly solved them. You should stay on top of new ideas and techniques in your industry through trade groups, trade magazines, online articles and even books. If something you are doing doesn’t feel like it is working, it’s taking longer than it should, or the final product isn’t great; take the time to research new production methods. Very often new and faster production includes the need for better and specialized equipment. Fear: Fear can be the number one factor in delaying your upgrade. Maybe, you had a hobby that grew, and you are selling some pieces to support your hobby. Well, if you’re selling anything you are running a business. So make that hobby supporting business, the best it can be. Maybe, you are afraid your business is growing and you think you aren’t ready for it. Guess what, you get to decide how big and how fast you want your business to grow. Once you’ve improved your product, raise your prices and sell fewer items for more, resulting in less work. Now that you’ve overcome your objections to buying new equipment, the next article in this series will explore when it’s time to purchase. Check it out in our July issue. Sewing Tip: Use the Right Presser Foot As mentioned in the article above, sometimes an equipment upgrade can cost very little, but have a big impact on your final product. Using the right presser foot for your projects is one of those little upgrades. Most sewers are familiar with the standard presser foot with a wide center and two equal sides, used for straight stitch and zig-zag stiches while hemming, stitching in the ditch, sewing together seams, and putting on zippers. Unfortunately, sometimes the foot drifts, doesn’t get close enough to the zipper teeth, or falls off a heavy seam. There are varieties of specialized presser feet, which can do so much more than the standard foot and improve your sewing skills. Here are a few of SewForward’s favorites. Compensating Foot - Made to sew even stiches on seam edges, it comes in a right or left. One side of the foot is hinged and the other side is thicker. When sewing with it, place the hinge part of the foot on the seam and the thick part on the flat edge of the fabric. Piping/Self Welt/Cording Foot - This foot also comes as a right or left. It has a single hinge and is for making self/welt or cording used in upholstery, pillows and garment seams. The single hinge allows you stitch right next to the cording. These feet can also stitch zippers if you prefer not to purchase a separate zipper foot. Non-Stick/Teflon Foot - Leather, plastic and vinyl tend to stick and not easily glide through standard presser feet. A Teflon foot slides across these types of fabrics, allowing for even stitching and no bunching. They are shaped the same as a standard foot, but can also be purchased as a piping foot. Rolled Hem - Designed to do a small rolled hem on decorative fabrics. This foot is tricky to use and requires practice to get it right. Invisible Zipper Foot - Half of this foot sews over the zipper’s teeth to push them out of the way so you can stitch as close as possible to them. Edge Guide Foot – This looks like a standard presser foot, but has a thin piece of vertical metal that runs in the seam edge when you are top stitching or edge stitching. This also comes as either a left or right foot. If you’re working on a home machine, you can usually buy kits with a bunch of different feet in them. Industrial machine feet are higher priced, so evaluate what type of stitching you do the most before investing in new ones. Whatever type of machine you use, specialized presser feet will improve your sewing and increase your production. Customize your Packaging Not too long ago I ordered beads from someone on Etsy. When I received them, they were in a pretty bag, neatly tied, with a free gift and the sellers’ business card. I think I paid about 10 dollars plus shipping, but felt like the seller really cared about me. Would I return to her site to buy again? You betcha. Packaging is big business and can set you apart from the competition. If you are shipping your items in plain cardboard box with some bubble wrap thrown in, it’s time for an upgrade. Your actual shipping box can be the same boring beige, but what goes in the boring box should be something your customer is excited to open and explore. Start by evaluating your color scheme. Every business should have signature colors, and no more than 2. Think about some famous brands you can immediately identify by their colors. Starbucks - green and white; Coca-Cola- red and white, FedEx - purple and white; and Target - red and white. Your customers should be able to identify you by your colors and be excited to see it arrive. Evaluate your box size. The product should fit neatly in the box and not be so squished it looks terrible when removed. Don’t fold up an item that isn’t meant to be folded, just so it will fit in the box. On the other hand, don’t ship a necklace in a box meant for something much bigger. Think about creating a custom box that sets you apart. At Johnnycupcakes.com, they sell t-shirts packaged like food. Along with ice cream and push up pops, they also package them like takeout burgers and TV dinners. The packaging is so clever, who cares what's inside it. If you can’t afford a custom box, what about wrapping paper. Wrap your box up like a fun gift with some pretty twine. Print some stickers with your logo and use that to close the wrapping. Make the inside of the box as nice as the outside by using colored shredded paper or decorative tissue paper. If multiple items go in the box, make sure they don’t shift around while in transit. Use the inside box lid to add more advertising for your business. Add your mission statement, a funny cartoon or a positive message. Add your own custom note. My daughter subscribes to Stitch Fix, a curated clothing service. Every box she gets has a handwritten thank you note in it explaining each item of clothing and why it was chosen for her. You can have the message printed, but make it customized by adding the customers name and signing each card. It doesn't have to be long, a even a one-line note will make the customer feel like they are special and you appreciate them. Throw in a gift if you can. Do you sell custom cloth diapers add a decorative safety pin. Clothing, how about a little mending kit. Masks; a bag to put it in. Accessories for animals; a treat for the pet. Don’t include items you already sell, and don't invest a lot of money in handing out free things. They should cost less than a dollar and you should be able to buy them in bulk. Stickers are incredibly popular right now and are like free advertising because customers put them on everything from laptops to water bottles. Lastly, ask your customer to buy from you again. Provide a coupon and incentive to return to your website or refer a friend. Here's a short list of what NOT to put in your packaging: Glitter Packaging that significantly increases your shipping costs Recycled materials that have someone else’s info on them. Plastic bags without warning labels Anything with a strong smell An excess of plastic bags About the Author: Sydney Hardiman is the Sewing Program Manager for SewForward, EECM's Cut and Sew Studio and workforce development program. She has over 20 years of experience in the design industry and is the author of over 50 articles about interior design. Enjoyed the article? Sign up for our newsletter here: Creative Crossr Interested in working with SewForward? Phone: 412-345-7141 Email: SewForward@eecm.org www.eecm.org/Sewforward

When an established and respected non-profit like East End Cooperative Ministry experiences upwards of three times the normal demand for food and other life-sustaining services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be a frantic pace to sustain our mission. Fortunately, we realized right away that we could depend on two new young PULSE Fellows to become an integral part of meeting the challenge. PULSE, which stands for Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience, “invite[s] talented university graduates to partner with...nonprofits to develop the next generation of servant leaders in [Pittsburgh].” In our overwhelmingly busy food pantry, PULSE fellow Makena Zimmerman’s work ethic immediately impressed her supervisor. “I would feel fully comfortable leaving her alone for a week knowing the pantry would be in perfect condition. Her knowledge, accountability, and work ethic have been by far the best asset to EECM’s Food Pantry,” said Pantry Coordinator Evan Averberg-Johnson. Makena was not the only one impressing EECM staff, volunteers, and clients. PULSE Fellow Anthony Jacob dove into assist all departments. Anthony’s high-tech prowess proved invaluable as he helped rebuild the EECM website. He also became a daily asset to EECM Housing and Employment services, staff says, “Anthony’s pleasant demeanor and willingness to jump in where needed has been great, especially during the pandemic when we never knew what was going to happen next.” EECM is most gratified that Makena and Anthony are enjoying the fast-paced work and tight deadlines during the pandemic. “I’ve gotten so much out of working at EECM,” says Anthony Jacob. “Overall, it’s been a great experience integrating my education within the non-profit sector.” Makena says, “…while I’ve learned so much about the operations of food distribution to the food-insecure, interacting with the clients and learning their names has been so important to me. They are important and it is nice to meet them and hear their perspective. They are great people.” Anthony agrees. “From the relationships I have developed to all I’ve experienced around the shelter and recovery house, I’ve learned so much about the vulnerabilities we all face as human beings. EECM is just so real.” It sure is real. EECM CEO Carole Bailey said “… we at EECM will never forget just how real Makena Zimmerman and Anthony Jacob are in all they have done at EECM. Makena and Anthony are the epitome of leadership, service and experience. “ In fact, we can describe having these highly talented PULSE Fellows who stepped up during the pandemic in three words. The Real Deal. PULSE Fellow Anthony Jacob graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with a 3.62 GPA in Industrial Engineering. Anthony has held positions at EECM, Incline Consulting Group, Bimbo Bakeries USA, and Columbian Life Insurance. He has studied abroad in South Africa studying Engineering Design for Social Change and in Bolivia serving the local and less privileged. If you are interested in helping Anthony find a job, contact him here! PULSE Fellow Makena Zimmerman graduated with a 3.78 GPA from Goshen College with a B.A. in Biology and a minor in Peace and Justice Studies. Makena's senior biology thesis designed and conducted studies on perspectives of food support systems and then analyzed trends in data and relevance to current environmental issues. In addition to EECM, Makena has worked at Saladworks and Water Street Mission. If you are interested in helping Makena find a job, contact her here!

8th grader, Caroline, organized a food and clothing drive on behalf of EECM all on her own! As part of St. Antony the Great Indian Orthodox Church’s Lent charity goal this year, Caroline inspired other families in her church to donate a cart full of food and clothing for our clients. EECM is experiencing 3 times the demand for food during this pandemic. If you want to make an impact, like Caroline has, please visit eecm.org/give or reach out to us at development@eecm.org