Your donation helps to support our school and help immigrants in Maine create new, self-sufficient lives in our communities. Thank you for your support. You are making a meaningful difference to Mainers working to achieve their dreams.
We are a 501c3 nonprofit and your donation is tax-deductible.
Our volunteers help prepare materials for class, sort donations, repair sewing machines, and contribute their expertise in marketing, grant writing, graphic design, and website development. If you have experience to share or are motivated to learn, we’d love to hear from you!
Let us know more about you & how you’d like to contribute by filling out our volunteer application.
Volunteer Saturdays take place one Saturday a month at the SewingSschool - 90 Bridge Street Suite 301 on the third floor. This is a time to help process fabric donations and make connections with other community members. New volunteers should come at 10am for orientation; experienced volunteers can drop in any time from 10am to 3pm.
Donations of materials help us reduce the cost of running class; we used donated materials whenever possible for class projects. The rest of the donations we sell in our store to generate revenue for the program. Students receive a discount on all retail store items to make sewing at home affordable and accessible.
Donations must be brought to our location in Westbrook. Except in very special cases, we do not have the resources to pick up donations. Because our storage space is very limited, we are capping weekly donations at an amount that we’re able to process in one week. Each week, each individual may donate an amount that fits within the three bins shown in the photo.
Please click the button below to schedule a time to drop off your donation.
What we accept:
All kinds of fabric in pieces a quarter yard or larger, with intact selvedges, including bolts and rolls of fabric. Clean and folded is very much appreciated!
Notions like zippers, bias tape, velcro, elastic, thread, buttons. We do not want second-hand fusible items like interfacing.
Sewing tools like scissors, thread snips, needles, pins and pincushions, tape measures, chalk, seam rippers, supply organizers
Domestic sewing machines, depending on the model. We do not accept domestic sewing machine cabinets (space is limited and machines need to be able to fit on a shelf). We also take spare presser feet, power cords, bobbins, and other machine accessories. Please contact us to ask about industrial sewing machine donations.
Sewing patterns and books, but not magazines.
Finished quilts, quilt tops, quilt squares
Vintage handmade linens, such as embroidered napkins and handkerchiefs
What we do not take:
Materials and tools for knitting, embroidery, weaving, etc. We are only taking sewing-related supplies at this time.
Dirty and damaged fabric and notions
Bed sheets, curtains, tablecloths, etc. are better used by other organizations
Finished or partially finished clothing
Common Threads of Maine is a 501c3 Nonprofit. Please contact us if you need a donation receipt for your taxes.
