Loose Ends, a program started by Masey Kaplan and Jen Simonic, connects volunteers with unfinished craft projects left when a person dies or becomes disabled.
Origins of Loose Ends: Kaplan and Simonic were inspired to found the program after completing several projects for friends who had lost relatives.
* They launched the program in August 2022, anticipating they would find a pre-existing network offering such a service, but when they couldn’t, they decided, “it has to.”
Impact and Reception: Since its inception, Loose Ends has matched over 600 unfinished projects, such as blankets, quilts, and mittens, with talented craftspeople who can complete them.
* The organization has gained 9,100 volunteers from 42 countries who wish to offer their crafting skills to finish projects.
* The founders are surprised by the eager response and are working on becoming a tax-exempt organization to raise funds and introduce administrative help.
A Case Study: Artist Donna Savastio was unable to finish a rug due to Alzheimer’s, leaving only a few rows unfinished.
* Jan Rohwetter, a volunteer through Loose Ends, offered to complete the rug, considering it a meaningful task as she had recently lost her parents, her mother to dementia.
* Rohwetter finished the rug while adding a special touch of Savastio’s scarf tassels to mark the spot of transition between the two crafters’ work.
Organizational Vision: Simonic and Kaplan’s primary satisfaction comes from “watching strangers take care of each other” regardless of political, religious or other potentially divisive identities.
* They see their work as providing people the opportunity to relate at a human level while bringing comfort to each other.
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