In the upcycling sewing project *vergissmeinnicht*, new products are sewn from old clothes and fabrics that we collect from the Caritasverband Berlin e.V. clothing store. The project is aimed at young people aged 16-30 who would like to volunteer.
The mass production of textiles harms the environment through the use of pesticides and chemicals and precarious working conditions in the textile industry leave people living in poverty. Clothes have become disposable: on average, every German adult owns around 95 items of clothing - 19% of which are hardly ever worn. With this project, we want to set an example for sustainable consumption and against the "fast fashion" trend. In our project store caridoo, we have set up a small sewing studio with six workstations for this purpose.
The upcycled products are sold at caridoo and at markets in Berlin. The proceeds go to social projects of the Caritas Association for the Archdiocese of Berlin. Anyone who is interested in upcycling and sewing is cordially invited to come to our monthly "newcomer days" and get to know the project.
About once a month there is a NEWCOMER'S DAY for anyone who is interested in joining in, learning how to use a sewing machine or who is interested in upcycling. This day is especially for anyone who has not yet joined and would like to try it out. There are also ongoing sessions every Tuesday and Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm. We are looking for committed young people (like you) who would like to get to deal with old materials (used clothes and fabrics, old bicycle inner tubes etc.) and create new products from them, which we sell and donate the proceeds to Caritas social projects. We look forward to hearing more creative ideas to expand our *vergissmeinnicht* product range
To us, cooperation at eye level and respectful interaction are very important. As a committed volunteer at youngcaritas Berlin, you can contribute your time, ideas and know-how and realize your potential. Together we learn from and with each other. A win-win situation for everyone involved. You don't necessarily need previous experience in sewing and tailoring, but this is of course an advantage
We meet every two weeks on Tuesday. Feel free to contact us if you would like to be part of the Newcomer Day. There we welcome new interested people and introduce you to the project!
The youngcaritas Berlin belongs to the Caritasverband für das Erzbistum Berlin e.V. and promotes young people's commitment. Our goal is to introduce young people to politically and socially "explosive" topics and to teach them a more attentive and conscious use of environmental resources, both through theoretical input and through practical implementation. The goal of youngcaritas Berlin is to win as many young people as possible for voluntary work, be it for the youngcaritas projects "Kulturbuddys", *vergissmeinnicht* or through counselling and placement in various institutions and projects.
More about the organisation