About Esperanza Threads

Esperanza Threads is a project of the Grassroots Coalition for Economic and Environmental Justice of Ohio. It is a democratically operated cooperative that employs low-income individuals for manufacturing organic cotton clothing in Bedford, OH. Our goal is to provide jobs fair wages in our cooperative.

Esperanza Threads began in June of 2000 as a part of The Grassroots Cooperative. In September of 2001, we became an autonomous group. We have been establishing ourselves as an Organic Clothing Manufacturer and connecting with communities in Northeast Ohio. We are a Organic Cotton Clothing Manufacturer and are partners with faith communities and civic groups where we speak on the issues of fair wages, outreach to the un-employed and under-employed and the need for reducing chemicals in our personal and global environment. In July of 2004, we began a new program entitled: Budding Sewing Entrepreneurs. We are teaching sewing in the inner-city of Cleveland to women who wish to learn how to sew for the purpose of starting a small business. Already three of the women have collaborated and started a small business working within the level of their skills. We will continue working with them in 2005 and add more students. In Fall, 2005, we will be adding another collaboration with HML Opportunity Services which is a two-year program for homeless single parents with children.

For one year, we have partnered with Mujer y Comunidad, Women and Community, a cooperative in Zargosa, El Salvador. We have wanted to find a link with a Third World cooperative, so that we could address the sweatshop issues. Mujer y Communidad has been making organic cotton tote bags for us and our workers in Bedford have been adding machine embroidery trim as decoration. In June, 2004, Mary Eileen Boyle, O.S.U., our Executive Director traveled to El Salvador to meet the women. She was very impressed with their desire to make a fair wage to support their families and learn new skills. In addition to sewing, they are beginning a soy program to help supplement the diet of the people. They are also looking into backyard gardening so they can provide fresh produce to add to a diet that mainly consists of beans and rice. On this visit, Mary Eileen ordered lovely embroidered aprons which are now on our site.