I am thrilled to share with you my nonprofit quilt business:
Quilt 2 End ALZ
It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, charitable organization. Through it, I am connecting quilters (and those who love beautiful fabrics and crafts) with the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease. Q2EA has given my days purpose and focus while providing an incredible outlet for creativity and socializing. It is much, much more than a hobby!
I hope you’ll click over to Quilt2EndALZ.org to read about our organization, subscribe to our newsletter, check out where and when I will be speaking and teaching, and shop to support our mission.
Furthermore, here on Me & Coach, you will read about quilts and speaking engagements and workshops and book clubs and all kinds of amazing aspects of my life that include Quilt 2 End ALZ, starting with the story of how it all began…
2018
In November 2018, I was creating an event for The Longest Day, a volunteer-driven awareness and fundraising campaign orchestrated each year by the Alzheimer’s Association, and had to name it something to complete the registration. My event was going to be a make-and-take workshop for quilters, so I called it “Quilt 2 End ALZ” and hit the submit button.
The very next month, I participated in the 2018 Moda Bake Shop Countdown to Christmas Quilt Along in which I used my stash of scrap fabrics and each day’s posted pattern to make 25 quilt blocks. Quilters from all across the world join in, creating their blocks and sharing them on social media. I LOVE sharing stuff, so this was right up my alley!
I quickly noticed that when I mentioned in my posts that my Countdown to Christmas quilt would be in honor of my Grandma Syble who died of Alzheimer’s disease, I received lots – and I mean LOTS – of likes, comments, and encouragement. I realized that, unfortunately, many fellow quilters have an Alzheimer’s story, and I learned that sharing those stories is a natural part of the coping – and healing – process.
I decided then and there that Quilt 2 End ALZ needed to be more than a one-day, annual event. It needed to be something that connects quilters with the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease at all times, month in and month out, year after year.
When, during a totally different conversation, I mentioned my new idea to our estate attorney, she suggested setting up a non-profit structure to build this platform upon.
Over the Christmas break, I sat down with the women in my most immediate family – my daughter, my mom, my sister, my two nieces, and my sister-in-law – and asked for their help, their input, and their guidance as members of my board of directors.
They gallantly agreed!
2019
On January 21, 2019 – the day that Grandma Syble would have turned 90 years old – Quilt 2 End ALZ, Inc., was officially established.
The bulk of 2019 was spent on the business of creating a business…submitting our bylaws and articles of incorporation, obtaining 501(c)(3) designation, opening bank accounts, deciding on logos, designing palettes and website pages, determining email addresses and subscription services, establishing social media accounts and developing an online presence, and the list goes on!
We also hosted that workshop for The Longest Day, established an online store so that quilters all across the country can purchase our patterns to participate in our community quilt projects, and helped sponsor Alzheimer’s initiatives such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s® Tulsa event and the University of Tulsa’s “Tulsa Takes on ALZ” awareness campaign.
It was a fun and fabulous first year, and our vision for 2020 promised to continue expanding our impact as we share our message across the country.
2020
In January of 2020, we unveiled our Theme of the Year: Sofa Snugglers.
A few weeks later, we launched our annual block pattern for The Longest Day campaign: Flower Show.
And then, 2020 proved to have plans of its own – yikes!
We’ve switched gears to accommodate my knee replacement in February, quarantining in March, sheltering at home in April, and trudging through the learning curve of switching to all-digital presentations, online workshops, and new, unique ways of staying connected.
In June, we released our first Marquee Designers Series quilt pattern, The Paving Petals Quilt.
We made it available as a pdf download, a printed pattern, and as a full fabric kit. The response and feedback has been tremendous, and we are excited to continue this collaborative series with new quilt designers for years to come.
No matter the challenges, we won’t give up.
We are sewing strong and quilting like crazy. Together we will quilt to end ALZ!
With love and hugs,
Ashli
