There are times when someone has to take the initiative.

And that’s what Meredith Crane did. Crane, a mother of two Deaf children (Jesse and Jim) started Deaf Initiatives, a Columbus, Ohio-based non-profit 501(c)3 organization. The mission of Deaf Initiatives would be simple: the organization would establish initiatives specifically geared towards “strengthen[ing] the potential of young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing…[and] ensuring that all Ohio youth who are deaf/hard of hearing and their families have access to all necessary information, professional help, and resources”. Deriving from her own experiences on the difficult decisions she had to make for her deaf children – and the severe lack of mentorship and/or counseling offered to her in the process – Crane wanted to exercise a model of prevention, not wanting new parents of deaf children to be in the same position she once was. And thus the following initiatives were established:

•    Navigating Your Child’s Future, in which the organization educates the parents on educational rights and strategies via a series of workshops, also providing the ability for parents of Deaf children to network with other parents of Deaf children;
•    Making a Difference with Your Future, in which Deaf Initiatives offers a transition weekend for deaf/HOH high school students and their parents on their options for life after high school, equipping the students with tools needed for success for any chosen option;
•    On the Road to Your Future, in which Deaf Initiatives encourages deaf/HOH high-school students to consider college, providing a bus trip for both the students and parents/guardians to Gallaudet University and NTID/RIT;
•    Experiencing Your Future, in which the organization assists students from NTID/RIT in obtaining co-ops/internships in Ohio, exposing them to experience in working in the “real world”;
•    Keepsake Theme Quilts and Wall Hangings, in which Crane employs Deaf teenagers and adults to make quilts from a person’s collection of tee-shirts – in which all profits go to maintaining the aforementioned initiatives.

The DeafNation crew climbed up the front steps into the house on South Dawson Avenue, where the shop of Keepsake Theme Quilts – as well as the office of Deaf Initiatives – was located.

The very first thing that greets any visitor upon entering the house is a quilt hanging from the wall – a gorgeous,  red-and-grey California king-sized quilt, made entirely out of Ohio State University tee-shirts. Getting closer to admire the detail, the quilt was immaculate, the tee-shirts perfectly arranged, pressed, and stitched together flawlessly. Running my hand over the fabric, I chuckled, mentally going through a list of names of people I knew that would adore the blanket as a gift.

But despite being immersed in quilts that hung around me, it was hard to miss Meredith Crane as she came up the stairs from the basement. Small in frame but possessing energy that filled the room, she warmly welcomed us into the shop, guiding us into one of the workrooms.

Crane then spotted lead seamstress Judy Bryant and nudged her forward. Bryant, with her shy, gentle nature, smiled and led the DeafNation crew on a tour of the premises, her love for the shop unmistakable as she proudly pointed out the different areas of operation.  For the tour, you can view the video clip below!

Keepsake Theme Quilts Fast (and some Fun!) Facts:

•    KTQ is the only tee-shirt quilt-making company that has a social purpose (you can read about it at http://www.tshirtquilts.com/workroom/);
•    Money earned from the quilts goes to the Deaf Initiatives programs;
•    All employees working at KTQ must know sign language;
•    Combined, all seamstresses that work at KTQ have over 200 years of sewing experience;
•    One quilt takes approximately two to six weeks to make, depending on the size of the quilt and time of year ordered;
•    Quilts are usually ordered as graduation or holiday gifts;
•    In ten years that KTQ has been in business, tee-shirts for one quilt have never been mixed up with another quilt;
•    All those that are employed at KTQ are involved in all steps of the quilt-making process – everything from sewing to working with outside contractors;
•    KTQ has made quilts for some very special people –  such as OSU football head coach Jim Tressel, heroes of 9/11, and those who have lost loved ones in Iraq.

Because Deaf Initiatives is a non-profit organization, it relies on the generous donations of many of its’ sponsors to keep many of Deaf Initiatives programs running. Interested in becoming a sponsor? You can find more information on www.deafinitiatives.org, or contact Meredith Crane at thedeafund@aol.com.

For more information about Keepsake Theme quilts – and how you can order one! – you can go to www.tshirtquilts.com!

Related posts:

1. Love Thy Neighbor – Iowa School for the Deaf
2. Greener Grass on the Vermont Side
3. Wisconsin By Your Side
4. Picture Perfect: Photo Shoot at NTID, continuation of Day 2!
5. Hoosier Pride for the Indiana Side
6. RIT Campus Tour, an Interview with NTID President Dr. Hurwitz, and Social Night with RRCD!
7. Visiting with ASADV (Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims)
8. And All the World’s a Stage…at The Rose with Linsay Darnall, Jr.
9. Our Columbus Colony Visit!
10. The Audacity of (Deaf) Hope