Student Designs Sleeping Bag Coat for Homeless

Veronika took the design to the Dean of her college, Imre Molnar (a former design director for Patagonia), who was so impressed he called up the CEO of Carhartt. After that phone call, the company donated sewing machines, zippers, and the time of one of their seamstresses to train the people who will be building these coats.

The sleeping bag coat is made of Tyvek (the white plastic home insulation material) and wool/other synthetic materials, with buttons and cords made from PVC and plastic tubing. The supplies cost approximately $5-10, and the coats will be created by men and women residing at the Cass Community in exchange for minimum wage payment, full time housing, and meals. Once the coats are made, the public will be able to purchase them for people in need for $40-60.

Despite the generous donations received thus far, Veronika still runs the program out of pocket, so donations are always welcome. She especially needs:

• synthetic fabrics: nylon, polyester, fleece, or polartec (no cotton)

• wool

• thread

• velcro

• PVC tubing

• plastic cord

• hot glue guns

• scissors

pins

Donations or a check made out to Cass Community Social Services: The Coat Project (it’s tax-deductible) can be mailed to Veronika at:

Cass Community Social Services: The Coat Project
11850 Woodrow Wilson Street
Detroit, MI 48206

The goal is to create 25 coats for the pilot program by the end of February.

For more information, visit The Empowerment Plan blog or follow Veronika on Twitter.

Source: Detroit Free Press, NPR

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