"I was invited to exhibit and teach in the MCAD in Minneapolis, and they didn't have there the equipment I needed, so I made a version of my own machine with a soft tub to carry around with me in a suitcase.

'Mark the self absorbed artist', goes then to a conference in Chicago, and has one of those wonderful epiphany moments - you know, the kind where you know you have to do something very special.

There was a presentation by Deborah's Place...the WomenCraft project for training the homeless in Papermaking, and they were using a lineup of kitchen blenders to process office waste into the most beautiful cards and albums.

I stood up and asked what they really needed ...a Hollander. That was it,

I went home, talked to my lovely wife, and together we made the first 'Critter'...and sent it bit by bit through the post.....you can still see that first machine in the background of their website. http://www.womancraft.net

The Critter project has been so so successful, in that it provides our group with machines at cost...about 1/4 of commercial rates.

The way it works ...I collected enough $ to make machine #1 (with a small wage ....it takes about a week to make each machine)...and the same parts $ is used again to make machine #2 ...and so on ...everything handmade, nothing subcontracted out which would increase prices. ..we are astoundingly up to Hollander Number 242. There has never been a $ reserve, this makes the project a little vulnerable, the biggest challenge is compensating for exchange rate fulctuations, (work harder) Babies getting born, and communicating the concept of a 'not for profit' to University finance departments.

The comforting thing is........ there has always been a miraculous component...we have never actually starved, thanks to the goodwill and kindness of our wonderful Papermaking community."