JACKSOVNILLE, Fla. — Sewing has been something Denisha Sylvester has loved for decades. She’s been using that skill to teach kids, but last Sunday her studio of SewFunJax was destroyed when a car crashed into the building, taking out parts of the wall.
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It happened on Blanding Blvd in the Lake Shore area, now she’s looking to pick up the pieces and relocate her business.
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“To get here and to see it, I literally almost passed out,” Sylvester said.
The crash report says the driver who hit the building was coming up on the intersection of Blanding Blvd. and St. Johns Avenue when he swerved out of the way to avoid another car that pulled out in front of him. The report says he swerved to avoid the crash, but possibly hit the gas instead of braking, causing the car to lose control and hit the building; only the other driver who pulled out in front got a verbal warning.
“I’m not going to tell you I haven’t cried every day, I still have tears in my eyes right now, but I know it’s going to work out and I’m going to get through it,” Sylvester said.
Sylvester says she worked her way up from a small home studio during the pandemic, teaching anywhere from three to fifteen kids weekly. Now, she’s forced to find a new home.
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“I know how long it will be before I can start back up because finding a new place, I know it will take some time,” she said.
The car crashed where kids normally sit and learn, thankfully nobody was there at the time. While it’s been difficult, that is one thing she is thankful for.
“I just thank God because I couldn’t imagine having to call a parent and say your child that you left with me, someone ran through here and they’re gone,” she said. “It could’ve been terrible; it could’ve been where we didn’t have an interview all I would’ve been in the story of the sewing lady.”
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The community and the parents of her students are stepping up to help, creating a GoFundMe in her support. It reads in part, “She has dedicated her life to teaching kids and adults how to sew and create. She is kind and generous and several days a week she donates her time to teaching at risk youth how to sew and create for free. She provides a safe, loving space for kids to express themselves, where they can learn and believe in themselves. She is an amazing teacher and human who gives her whole heart. Please help us give back to a person who gives so much to so many in need.