SEATTLE — A Seattle nonprofit is focusing its efforts this week on providing school supplies for unsheltered students and students who face food insecurity.
Refugee Artisan Initiative's "Back to School Bundles" campaign kicked off Monday. It runs through Friday as artisans work to produce 670 bundles of school supplies.
Carmen Brenner, the Initiative's director of development, said having they received about 2,000 requests.
Those who work at the Initiative were "just shocked" at how many students did not have access to basic school supplies, Brenner said.
The bundles contain handmade face masks, a pencil case, reusable sandwich bag and a snack bag. The $30 cost is offset by donations.
Refugee Artisan Initiative partners with refugee and immigrant women to train in artisans skills and business development.
Founder Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman is an immigrant from Taiwan and said she built Refugee Artisan Initiative to help more women like her make a graceful transition to the U.S. through education, skills training and the business development.
Her grandmother supported her family through the sewing trades and Min-Ming believes refugee and immigrant women in the united states could do the same. There are currently 36 women working with RAI.
According to the organization, it is zero waste. Small-batch manufacturing gives these women an opportunity to create their own business and provide a financial independence as they create a new life here in America.
The artisans hand make and sew everything from pet beds to purses.