“Moving the needle” for at-risk women
A fashion-focused nonprofit gives local at-risk women an opportunity to succeed in a specialized industry it’s working to resurrect. Jennifer Lapka founded Rightfully Sewn in September 2015 to train as seamstresses women who are refugees, former prostitutes, survivors of abuse or recovering substance abuse addicts and assist with job placement.
She’s also committed to re-establishing Kansas City “as an epicenter of garment manufacturing.” With unique advantages like location, comparatively low cost of living and competitive wages for trained seamstresses, Kansas City’s well-positioned to “become a garment manufacturing hub again,” Lapka says.
Here, trained seamstresses can make $12-$27 hourly. Moreover, there are 100-plus area jobs available for trained seamstresses.
Rightfully Sewn’s once-yearly eight-week seamstress training program for at-risk women will eventually have three levels. The inaugural basic sewing class, level I, launched in summer 2017 with six women; to date, 14 women have graduated and joined the workforce. Classes are held at Rightfully Sewn Atelier in the Crossroads Arts District.
This is the first year tailoring and alterations class, level II is offered. Class began April 30 with eight women. Rightfully Sewn will offer the production specialist class, level III beginning next year.
The seamstress training program teaches children and women’s clothes, menswear, alterations and bridal wear. Students take home borrowed sewing machines to complete homework assignments. Classes makes site visits to potential employers. Students use the machines to demonstrate their work, showing employers what each is good at.
Rightfully Sewn’s social service partners identify potential seamstress training program candidates. To qualify, they must be motivated, ready to work and interested in sewing and pass a skills assessment.
“We have to get a sense of their hand-eye coordination,” Lapka says. “If they don’t have it, they won’t succeed as seamstresses because they have to be fast and precise to be successful.”
Rightfully Sewn works with CASA of Jackson County, Catholic Charities of NE Kansas, Hope Faith Ministries, Jewish Vocational Service and Sheffield Place.
“The longer we exist, the more groups reach out and want to be involved,” Lapka says.
Rightfully Sewn’s competitive two-year residency program for area fashion designers prepares them with access to the studio, industry connections, promotional support and training so “they can meet the demand for high-quality American-made garments.” Five resident designers graduated last year; three more will graduate in December.
There are also workshops and other events open to all. Rightfully Sewn’s third annual fashion designer professional development seminar occurred June 1. Growing attendance, which doubled over 2018, attests to the progress of Kansas City’s apparel industry renaissance.
Another of Rightfully Sewn’s initiatives is reintroducing sewing and fashion design in high schools. Lapka’s working with Gayla Randel at the Kansas State Department of Education to “create a pipeline from high school to the industry” in some 455 Kansas high schools.
Rightfully Sewn’s seamstress training program is funded through grants, sponsorships, individual donations and state funding. Revenue from small batch production, pattern-making, sample sewing, sourcing assistance, production management and various public classes for kids and adults, finances fashion designer professional development.
Seamstress training program graduates represent several foreign countries. Rightfully Sewn contracts interpreters from Jewish Vocation Service and Catholic Charities.
“We’re very eager to reach out to the Hispanic community,” Lapka says.
Head seamstress Sandra Romero is fluently bilingual in Spanish.
Rightfully Sewn’s Website, www.rightfullysewn.org lists ways to support it. All are welcome, Lapka says. “Rightfully Sewn belongs to everyone, and we would love to have everyone involved in any way they’re interested.”
