Southern Oregon Bookmakers Support Vision Quilt

By Cathy DeForest, Vision Quilt Founder

Grassroots movements like the Vision Quilt are supported by many volunteers, many of them working behind-the-scenes to support community transformation. Southern Oregon bookmakers Albie Zajach, Barbara Helfand, Bridget Reynolds, Suzanne Aubin Addicott and Mary Chaplain are an example of such dedication and support. 

By creating beautiful handmade journals, Albie, Barbara, Bridget, Suzanne and Mary provide Vision Quilt participants with a means of reflection and introspection, a place where the youth can document their impressions, thoughts and feelings evoked by the Vision Quilt workshops. The bookmaking team has created journals for our youth in Chicago, at the Lighthouse Charter School in Oakland, and for the incarcerated youth at Camp Sweeney. 

Albie Zajach is the resident teacher of the group, having taught bookmaking classes in Southern Oregon for many years. The group meets regularly to create art together, often for a good cause. During the height of the American war in Afghanistan, the group sent journals to orphanages and underground schools.

The group's ethos is simple. “Everybody wants to be able to give something," says Albie Zajach, "and this is something that we can give, and that we enjoy... We love to make books."  

Lighthouse Charter School students with journals

“We really think what the Vision Quilt is doing is important," Albie continues. "The kids or the incarcerated guys, [we want them to know] there are people out there thinking about them and caring what happens to them.” 

Thank you to Albie, Barbara, Bridget and Mary for your offerings and support. This is the world the medicine needs; many small things done with great love can transform our lives and our communities.