Mobile Menders is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. They provide free mending services to those in need in and around the Twin Cities. They believe everyone deserves the opportunity to have clothes that fit and are in good shape.

How did it start?

Mobile Menders was started by Michelle Ooley after she volunteered for a work event at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for Earth Week. During the event she volunteered her mending skills at a Fix-It-Clinic held at Union Gospel Mission. She soon realized that there was a need for mending that went beyond a one-time event and a simple patch on a pair of jeans. Mobile Menders was born in June of 2017.

Early beginnings

With 17 volunteers on board, mostly co-workers and a few friends, Michelle quickly set out to find a few places that she could set up some sewing machines and provide free mending. Union Gospel Mission was on the list and she also reached out to HOPE Harbor in Minneapolis.

After realizing that more people might enjoy volunteering and mending clothes, Michelle decided to post about Mobile Menders on the West 7^th Cool Kids page on Facebook. Soon after posting she received numerous comments from neighbors wanting to donate old sewing machines and supplies, as well as wanting to volunteer their time and skill.

Shortly thereafter, she received an email from MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) reporter Tim Nelson, wanting to know more about Mobile Menders. Tim was intrigued and wanted to interview Michelle, her volunteers, HOPE Harbor residents and their Executive Director.

Once all the formalities were handled and releases signed, Tim met up with Michelle and Mobile Menders volunteers on a Saturday in July of 2017 at HOPE Harbor. Sewing machines in hand they set up on a conference room table and waited for residents to show up that needed some mending help. As the residents started to trickle in, Tim started to record the conversations. The residents were in awe that people would come and provide this service for free. Even better, they enjoyed what they were doing and they were all willing to sit and talk with them — not about why there were at HOPE Harbor, but about the clothes they were bringing in. How long had they had that pair of pants? What was their favorite thing about that shirt? In turn, the residents started to share their memories of their mothers, grandmothers and aunts who would often sit around the dining room table sewing and how the humming of the sewing machine brought back fond memories of times long passed.

Never in my wildest dreams

August 4, 2017 was a day that Michelle will remember forever. That was the day that the MPR article went up on the front page of their website. Her phone started buzzing with new emails and dinging from new text messages. By the end of the day her volunteer base had gone from 17 to 100. Groups and organizations were starting to reach out to see how they could get Mobile Menders to come to their location and Michelle soon realized that she had stumbled upon an untapped service that was so desperately needed and far beyond her wildest dream.

Time to organize

Now that you have close to 100 volunteers and groups and organizations wanting your services, what do you do? Get yourself organized and fast. Michelle put together a website, created a volunteer application form and started to form processes for upcoming mending events all in her spare time.

Mobile Mender volunteer, Cathy, showing her daughter some mending tips and tricks.

Mobile Menders volunteer, Mai, working on repairing a pair of jeans.

More than just mending clothes

As the first few months went by, Michelle also realized that in addition to mending clothes, Mobile Mender volunteers were also mending people’s souls. People would come to the mending events and share their stories of what the piece of clothing they brought in meant to them.

From a favorite purple shirt that had hung out in the back of a closet for two years missing two buttons to a jean jacket with a shredded collar that belonged to a sister that went missing 20 years ago, to a torn pair of overall shorts that belonged to a dear friend that succumbed to suicide, these were all stories that mattered and Mobile Mender volunteers listened as they repaired these cherished articles of clothing.

In turn, the volunteers have expressed a deep sense of satisfaction in giving back. They are thankful that they can use their love of sewing and mending and put their sewing machines to use again.

Ramsey County resident, Iris, talking with My Talk 107, Alexia, talking it up. Iris is now Mobile Menders board secretary.

Mobile Menders volunteer and Ebeneezer resident talking about mending.

You can fix that?

You would be surprised how many times you hear this at a Mobile Menders event. People come with an item that they think can’t be mended, but before you know it that tote bag with a torn handle is usable again or that stuffed toy is ready to provide hours more of snuggles.

Mobile Menders also educates people on the importance of repurposing items.  How to take an old t-shirt and turn it into a reusable bag and why it’s important to our environment to repurpose items instead of throwing them away. Helping people find new uses for old items and showing them that recycling also includes clothing.

A shirt was brought into House of Charity event needing a new collar. Mobile Menders Executive Director, Michelle Ooley, cut out a new collar and hand sewed on top of the old one.

A backpack needing some much needed mending.

Mending Matters

Fast forward to the Fall of 2019 and Mobile Menders is now an official 501(c)3 nonprofit, has over 290 volunteers, a board and is providing free mending services to 30 + groups and organizations. Since inception they have held over 175 mending events, served over 1,117 people, mended over 2,150 items and saved approximately 2,750 pounds of clothing and textiles from the landfill.

You can find Mobile Menders at mobilemenders.org

Facebook: @MobileMenderSewing

Instagram:@Mobilemenders2017

Twitter:@Mobile_Menders