Earlier this year the kind folks of Loose Ends (Maisie and Jean) reached out to us to see if we could help spread the word to organizations around Greater Boston about their work. If you aren't familiar with this nonprofit we think you'll understand why we are pleased to play a small part in their work after reading this post.
Loose Ends aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left undone due to death or disability. When a crafter dies mid-project, or is no longer able to do handwork due to disability or illness, they will likely have unfinished items they were making for friends and family. The Loose Ends volunteers finish the projects and then return them to the loved ones they were being made for--at no cost to the project owner. Like this one below.
Mary Elizabeth, the original needlepoint artist for this piece, came from the Boston area. “The lighthouse theme touched her heart because it reminded her of home. When she married, she moved to Toronto, Canada. I was raised in Canada. I would really like to get this finished because I gave this pattern to her and it was the last one she was working on before she passed away.” — Margaret, Mary Elizabeth’s daughter
This needlepoint was matched with Barbara, who finished it and returned it for Margaret to keep. (from Loose Ends, July 16, 2026)
Loose Ends has more than 37,000 volunteers across the globe, with a volunteer-to-project ratio of 10:1. They want to close that gap. Loose Ends is creating a volunteer team focusing on the Greater Boston area to help get more projects submitted and to raise funds. The Boston Loops team will visit shops and organizations to share materials, give presentations, host fundraising and awareness-raising events, and research businesses and activities aligned with their mission. You don't have to be a maker to join the Boston Loops Team! You just need to get out there and share!
This September 2026 we'll be using our We Care Wednesday initiative to help Loose Ends with their fundraising efforts. And to spread the word! If you work for an organization that might benefit from the volunteer handwork finishers completing projects that have been left undone to death or disability, please reach out.
*Since launching the We Care Wednesday initiative in January 2017 we have donated over $110K to a variety of nonprofits and mutual aid funds doing essential work in our community as well as other places. From the very local programs like Material Aid and Advocacy Program and EMA Fund to national programs like Habitat for Humanity. We select organizations that we feel represent not only our commitment to a better, more equitable world but also our desire to "do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.