Clever Octopus has an ambitious mission to redirect quality arts and craft supplies away from the landfill and into the hands of the Salt Lake Community to extend the life and purpose of these materials. In the fall of 2020, Clever Octopus partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) through their Craft with a Cause program to provide nearly 200 handsewn hygiene pouches in support of families served by the IRC. Now, the group is repurposing materials to donate 700 tote bags for individuals and families who use public transportation to complete their day-to-day errands. 

A young masked and gloved man waves and smiles at the camera, crouching andsurrounded by piles of hygiene pouches and shelving full of sewing and crafting supplies
In 2020, nearly 200 hygiene pouches were handsewn by Clever Octopus volunteers and donated to support the families that the IRC in Salt Lake City serves.
Photo: Courtesy of Alexandra Parvaz

“With our Craft with a cause initiative, the goal is finding organizations that have needs, and [asking] what are those needs, and can we work together to fill them?” Sheri Gibb, Executive Director of Clever Octopus explains. In early 2020, the organization kicked off its Craft with a Cause program, seeking to use donated materials to make useful, desirable items while engaging skilled community members in service of nonprofit partners in Salt Lake City.  

It is important for the organization to find ways to not only make the materials into usable items again, but into ones that fulfill specific needs in the community. “Our goal for them is to have them be used in a thoughtful way,” Sheri shares.  

For the families served by the IRC in Salt Lake City, this meant large, sturdy tote bags. “One of the things that was shared with us from the IRC, was that our community members use public transit. Hauling materials, hauling groceries – can be a problematic undertaking. We are a single-use society, and plastic bags and paper bags are not made for taking on public transportation,” Sheri says.  

Take home kit showing large grey fabric and rolls of black fabric
Convenient take-home kits include precut and measured materials for 10 bags per kit.
Photo: Courtesy of Alexandra Parvaz

Clever Octopus has set a target to sew 700 bags, 100 of which will go to the IRC in Salt Lake City, the remainder going to two other nonprofits. To reach this goal, the organization has created video tutorials, thorough instructional guides, and sewing kits with materials and equipment to make bags. Now, all that’s left is to find volunteers to sew the bags. “It is a bit more of an advanced sewing project,” Alexandra Parvaz, Community Engagement Coordinator at Clever Octopus, shares. However, the organization also offers more accessible sewing projects for beginners – like the hygiene pouches.  

During the pandemic, the team at Clever Octopus found that many community members were looking for ways to do good in the community while following health and safety protocols and staying at home. “This gave them an opportunity to use their skills and make a difference,” Sheri says about the hygiene pouches. 

To fill the pouches, Clever Octopus organized a collection drive to ensure each bag included essential, full-sized hygiene items that local families needed.  

The efforts of community partners, like Clever Octopus, provide immense support for local families working hard to rebuild their lives in the U.S. There are countless ways to engage the community around you in support of the newly arrived refugees in Utah: from donation drives and group volunteering to dedicating your next 5K or birthday as a fundraiser for the IRC in Salt Lake City.  

Learn more about the myriad creative ways you can support refugees and new Americans living in Utah through your own DIY Fundraising at Rescue.org/DIYSLC »

Those with some foundational sewing machine skills are invited to volunteer with Clever Octopus and help them reach their target: