Why a Patchwork?

In 2019, we started a nonprofit on the north side of Indianapolis to work with immigrants and refugees from different parts of the world. We wanted a name for the organization that would be as visual as it was verbal. We didn’t really want to use any of the normal or obvious terms. We wanted to find something that would not only reflect our work with immigrant and refugee communities but also something that set out the vision we have for a better and more inclusive society. We thought of many descriptive words, then the idea came up that what we hoped to create was a Patchwork.

It will come as no surprise that as we searched the internet for organizations with the term Patchwork in their title, almost all of them were quilting groups or companies that sold quilts. Even today, I am still occasionally approached by people who are interested in renewing the art of quilting for themselves. But that is not quite what we had in mind when we adopted the name Patchwork Indy, now Patchwork Global.

When I was a kid, we were always told that the US is a melting pot, and that everyone who comes here just blends in and becomes part of the larger mixture of all colors and cultures. But many times that description feels a little less than accurate. When everything melts and blends together, a lot of the individual characteristics and beautiful distinctives get lost in the mix.

A patchwork is not a melting pot. It is not mixing up all people and cultures until every individual characteristic gets diminished. Rather it is knitting people together until there is a beautiful and diverse social fabric that reflects the influences, experiences, and unique aspects of each person’s background. Each piece of the patchwork brings unique color and beauty, and together the pieces fit to make something that keeps expanding and adding and creating new combinations of depth and meaning and greater awareness.

It is also an acknowledgement that we are creating and are part of something bigger than ourselves. It is a recognition that everything we are doing and everyone we are living with in this society is valuable, unique, and deserving of respect. As our world continues to face new and unprecedented challenges, it is becoming increasingly self-evident that the only way we will be able to meet these difficulties that are facing the entire planet is if we acknowledge and utilize the valuable contributions from every culture, every tradition, and every perspective. That’s the nature of a fully fabricated patchwork. Every part is necessary and visible.

Creating a patchwork isn’t easy. The knitting process can be arduous and sometimes seemingly impossible. Pieces have to be woven together. They have to be placed close enough to allow the process of weaving to actually occur. This is an intentional decision and act. It is willingly joining yourself to someone who is different but who will add new dimensions, greater awareness, and deeper understanding to your own perspective. It is the chance to see beyond yourself to the shades and textures of other people and places.

Looking at more than one color or one pattern can be a little threatening, but as we are coming into this autumn season, we are reminded again by every aspect of nature that no one single color can create the breathtaking shades and combinations that come together when many different colors and textures combine to co-create something new and expansive, something that is often indescribable due to the many contributing elements that work together to produce autumnal palettes.

At a time when our country is being pushed, almost forced, to remove all color from the fabric, and the refugee movement is struggling globally to find its way, the name Patchwork Global reflects our commitment to working in every community with people from every background and culture. Our mission is to bring communities together, to help people move from surviving to a place of thriving and flourishing. Each person has infinite worth. Every person deserves a chance to live their full humanity. When this happens, together we create stronger communities and a more vibrant society that can be a masterful display of wonderful originality.