Carpenter Workshop
The Workshop
The Workshop - 2015
This space houses our sewing studio, community bike shop and kitchen for cooking classes. Quickly outgrowing the Purple House, CAG responded to the call for more of a variety in programs. While we consider everyone to be an artist at CAG, our organization is led by individuals with passion in cooking, creativity, gardening and mechanics as well. Knowledgeable staff and volunteers developed workshops for older students wanting to learn more about a specific skillset. The workshop is an example of growing on the changing interest of CAG participants.
The Workshop - 296 Carpenter
Bike Shop
Bikes are a primary mode of transportation for many community members, and the bike repair shop was a natural addition to our programs. We offer light bike maintenance and repairs free of charge to anyone in Binghampton. Our bike staff offers two weekly rides on the Greenline and Hampline for students and an adult bike ride on the weekend for neighbors.
Sewing Studio
In the winter of 2016, CAG received an incredible donation, an entire sewing store. Local business "Sew Memphis" was closing its doors and donated the whole inventory to build our Sewing Studio. Sewing classes are led by a group of volunteers who have spent almost six years developing our sewing program, open to older students wanting to learn this specific skill set. This program has gifted six sewing machines to graduating students and led to the creation of the brand, "A&A Creations."
Art Therapy
The donation from Sew Memphis led to long-term connections, eventually growing into our art therapy program. Since 2017, CAG has offered art therapy to individuals and small groups.
Garden Club Kitchen
Selling produce from our gardens at an independent pop-up market has made fresh, organic vegetables accessible to the neighborhood. We plant based on the growing season and the demand of our community. Our garden staff offers recipe suggestions to shoppers when unsure how to prepare the vegetables in season. These discussions at the market led to a weekly Garden Club cooking class for our students. Each week our garden team plans a dish using seasonal produce from our gardens. In December 2021, Community Garden Coordinator Latonya Hunt debuted her cookbook "A Kiss From Heaven," featuring all of the Garden Club recipes. Some examples include zucchini fries, spinach dip, and cucumber salad.
