FABSCRAP BKLYN Volunteer: Wednesday December 21, AM session

FABSCRAP needs your help to save designer textiles from landfill! Volunteers will sort through fabric samples and swatches, separating fabric from paper headers and folding large, usable fabric to be saved for reuse.

We are committed to keeping our volunteers, community, and team safe:

• Masks are required to enter the FABSCRAP warehouse and are mandatory on the Brooklyn Army Terminal premises
• Volunteer stations are spaced at least 6 feet apart
• Cleaning and sanitizing of volunteer stations and frequently touched surfaces will take place between all volunteer sessions
• The FABSCRAP team will be wearing masks at all times
• Gloves and hand sanitizer will be available
• We ask that volunteers cancel their session and stay home if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms including fever, cough, and/or gastro-intestinal issues (see additional info from the CDC). Additionally, please cancel your session and stay home if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had direct contact with an individual diagnosed with or suspected to have COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

Thank you for being part of our work and mission! When you sign up, please consider making a donation to keep us operational as a sustainable resource - FABSCRAP is the only option available for the fashion industry to recycle and redistribute unused material, and the most accessible way for consumers to find saved-from-landfill fabric, trim, leather, and yarn.

Want to get more involved? We are sending monthly invites to become a Reuse Volunteer to those who have volunteered 10 or more times! Reuse Volunteers help process materials in our Reuse bins after they leave the initial sorting table. It’s a great opportunity to understand the deconstruction of sample garments, what type of items are donatable or mendable, and how materials are processed for reuse or recyclability. We monitor our Eventbrite registrations closely. If you think you may have completed 10 sorting sessions and did not receive an invitation to sign up, let us know at [email protected] using the email you register for sessions with.

Please read below for additional information on volunteering, including other changes at the FABSCRAP warehouse due to COVID-19.

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What to expect:

• Welcome: Intros and overview of FABSCRAP (10 minutes)
• Training: Learn how FABSCRAP sorts fabric for recycling (15 minutes)
• Sort: Sort through fabric samples and large pieces, pulling out usable fabrics for reuse and removing hardware and paper from fabric swatches for recycling (~2.5 hours)
• Shop for fabric! (4:00PM-5:00PM)

***Sorting fabric requires the use of sharp scissors and moderate lifting (20-30 lbs). By registering for a session, you are confirming that you have read, understand, and agree to the volunteer waiver.***

Tips for a successful volunteer session:

• Dress comfortably and wear comfortable shoes as most volunteers sort while standing; we can provide chairs if you prefer to sit
• Bring your own bag to carry home any material you shop!
• We play music, but feel free to bring headphones
• Feel free to bring water or beverages with a cap/lid; there are also vending machines in the building
• As the weather gets cooler, windows will only be open for ventilation depending on outside temperature
• Please be sure to register for every session you plan to attend, and if you are unable to attend - especially if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or had direct contact with an individual diagnosed with or suspected to have COVID-19 in the past 14 days - cancel your ticket so that others may sign up for your space

As a thank-you for completing a 3 hour volunteer session, we’re happy to:

• Give you 5 pounds of fabric for FREE and a 30% volunteer discount on any additional material you’d like to purchase… OR
• Waive the fee for recycling personal sewing scraps, up to 10 pounds… OR
• Sign a community service form

***FABSCRAP is unable to accept used garments or home linens for recycling.***

THESE DIRECTIONS ARE IMPORTANT:

The FABSCRAP warehouse is located in Building B within the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), which is accessible by foot, bike/scooter, car, subway, bus, and ferry. Free indoor and outdoor bike parking is available at BAT Building B entrances. Free, secure on-site parking is available for cars at the Pier 4/NYC Ferry parking lot.

How to locate FABSCRAP within BAT:

From 58th Street: Follow signs for the Pedestrian Entrance. Building B is the building closest to 2nd Avenue and will be the first building you see in front of you. When you enter the building, walk all the way to the back of the lobby and go through the glass doors to the atrium with the train tracks. Walk along the center pathway to the VERY END of the atrium, where you'll go through another glass door. Use the elevator on your right to come up to the 5th floor. Go through the door on your left. ***This route is accessible with ramps and elevators.***

From 63rd Street: Enter the BAT complex using the walkway (a car entrance should be to your left and a parking lot to your right - this is NOT public parking). Note that this entrance has stairs. Building B is the building closest to 2nd Avenue and will be the first building you see to the right. When you enter the building, walk through to the back of the lobby. Do not enter the atrium with the train tracks. Make a left before the glass doors, and take the elevator to the 5th floor. Go through the door on your left. ***This route has stairs.***

From Pier 4: Walk toward the buildings labelled Brooklyn Army Terminal and pass the first building. You will go up a ramp and pass under an arch. Building B will be the second large building on your right, farthest from the water. When you enter the building, walk all the way to the back of the lobby and go through the glass doors to the atrium with the train tracks. Walk along the center pathway to the VERY END of the atrium, where you'll go through another glass door. Use the elevator on your right to come up to the 5th floor. Go through the door on your left. ***This route is accessible with ramps and elevators.***

Host or Publisher FABSCRAP