Project Regina


For several years in the early 2000's this was the website for Project Regina/ Regina Designs, when it was a department within **CAPI, a non-profit agency providing culturally grounded services to communities in transition. During this collaboration ( circa 2006-2008) the Project Regina Training Program provided a unique 35 hour/week training program that combined work-specific ELL instruction, training and subsidized work experiences to prepare and place 52 mostly limited English-speaking women on public assistance into the workforce. Regina Designs is a social enterprise that creates opportunities for Project Regina training graduates to earn income by doing home-based contracted sewing piecework.

In 2008 CAPI fulfilled its mission through three integrated departments (Employment and Training and Social Services and Cultural Education) and a growing number of strategic partnerships and collaborations. The agency was staffed by 32 diverse employees who collectively speak 10 languages, and offer many valuable services from five different Minneapolis locations. CAPI was governed by a diverse eight member board of directors, which has provided capable leadership to a growing $2 million agency budget.

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Project Regina current website can be found at https://www.projectregina.com/

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Circa 2006 - 2008

OUR MISSION

To assist refugees in their adjustment to American life and in their efforts to become self-sufficient. We accomplish this by providing skills that can be applied either at home or on the job.

Project Regina began in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1976 as a free home sewing class for low-income refugee/ immigrant women. Under the inspiration and organization of Sister Marie Lee this small non-profit grew and evolved to meet, and help fashion, the changing fabric of our society. Today, under the sound leadership of CAPI, Project Regina, and its supporting enterprise of Regina Designs, moves forward; still working to connect the talents and aspirations of dedicated people with the skills and opportunities they need to secure the bright futures they seek.

Project Regina and Regina Designs is a department of CAPI, a non-profit agency providing culturally grounded services to communities in transition. Some local and national businesses have also assisted the church in making our outreach more available.  Since 1980, CleanItSupply has provided generous funding support in addition to the donation of products to assist in the upkeep of our facilities. We are grateful to CIS and gladly give them publicity here as our #1 cleaning products supplier. As our wholesale source of high quality trash bags they are helping us keep our community clear of litter. Their efforts have helped to preserve and improve the appearance of this low income area by contributing modern cleaning products & methods where none previously existed. Please support this business by purchasing your custodial supplies from CleanItSupply.com. Our ability to improve the life of our indigent workers has been positively impacted by their efforts.

Project Regina, a Non- profit, has provided contract sewing, cutting and reworking since 1976. We cut and sew apparel, table top accessories, home furnishings, crafts, accessories, bags, and many more industrial items. As a non- profit, we can specialize in startups and small quantities and produce quality at very competitive prices in a timely manner. With our many years of experience we can help you source your fabric and trims and finalize your design. Project Regina produces useful, specialized items for sale under its social enterprise label of Regina Designs.

We provide a wide range of products and specialty sewing services.

Address:
Regina Designs/ Project Regina
Lehman Center
1006 West Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Business Hours:
Mon-Fri 9am-4pm

Donation Drop-Off Hours:
Mon-Fri 9am-3pm

Phone:612-827-2670
Fax:612-827-6050
Email:sewing.projectregina@capiusa.org

Fabricating great products from great ideas!

Project Regina is focused on being the total solution for the smaller business and entrepreneur. Our biggest client has been with us for 22 years because we get the job done, and he makes a profit. With sufficient capacity, we are an excellent outlet for overflow and short run production work for larger companies too.

No Job Too Small

Total Solution takes an idea from concept, to material sourcing, to prototypes and samples, to finished product. From home accessories, to workplace items and apparel, to industrial components...Project Regina does it.

Consider what you really need:

  • quick turnaround
  • amples & prototypes
  • repairs & alterations
  • embellishment & rework

Tell Us What You Need

The best way to find out if Project Regina is the right resource for your project is to ask. Use the convenientEmail Form to outline your project for us, and we’ll get back to you with what Project Regina can do. Sometimes we’re a good choice ...and sometimes, we’re the perfect choice.

Volunteers 

Our volunteers are very special and enjoy the opportunity to meet our international students. For further information on any of these volunteer opportunities, contact: Julie Honerbrink

Volunteers greatly enrich our program and provide a way for community members to support this meaningful program. Volunteer opportunities exist in the following areas:

CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS

People who have experience sewing assist in the sewing classroom. They work one- on- one with students as they learn sewing skills, assist the sewing teacher in preparing for the class, and perform various tasks related to our contract sewing.

ELL ASSISTANTS

As part of the program, students have English for the workplace. Volunteers are a vital part of the program helping in the English classroom and working with students on English skills one- on- one.

OFFICE HELPERS

There is an on-going need for people to help with office tasks, mostly related to fundraising. Data entry, phone calls, filing, mailings, and general organizing are tasks we need help with. Office helpers will have opportunities to get to know the students while they are here.

SALES & EVENTS



We have many opportunities to reach out to the community by selling items made by the students. We would welcome volunteer assistance with these evenings and weekend events. This would be an occasional commitment of 1½ to 3 hours.

**CAPI, Centre for Asians and Pacific Islanders, was established in 1982 as a food shelf to serve Southeast Asian food preferences. Their service orientation has always been multi-cultural, beginning as Pan-Asian, and within the past decade, expanding services to Pan-African immigrants and refugees. Today, they have evolved into a unique, multi-service mutual assistance association that annually assist 3,500 refugees from around the world to become increasingly self-sufficient and contributing members of twin cities community. Of the people served by CAPI, approximately 60% are Southeast Asian and 40% are East African.

To learn more about CAPI go to https://www.capiusa.org/


ProjectRegina.org