JOANN Announces Partnership with Nonprofit Loose Ends Project, Matching Volunteers with Crafts Loved Ones Have Left Unfinished

JOANN, Inc.

Loose Ends project image

JOANN has partnered with Loose Ends, an organization that aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left unfinished due to death or disability.

HUDSON, Ohio, Jan. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JOANN Inc. (NASDAQ: JOAN) (“JOANN”), the nation’s category leader in sewing and fabrics with one of the largest arts and crafts offerings, is proud to announce a new partnership with non-profit organization Loose Ends Project (“Loose Ends”). Loose Ends aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left unfinished due to death or disability.

JOANN and Loose Ends will kick off their partnership, offering exclusive discounts for Project Finishers, in-kind product donations and all JOANN locations nationwide will serve as designated meet up spots for loved ones and finishers to swap projects.

“JOANN has always been deeply committed to our communities and there is nothing more inspiring than seeing the connections between our creative customers, their crafts, and the projects they give to those they love,” said Chris DiTullio, Chief Customer Officer and Interim Office of the CEO. “JOANN is proud to partner with Loose Ends to continue connecting crafts left behind with finishers around the world, so loved ones can cherish the creator's memory in the way they intended.”

“Loose Ends is honored to partner with JOANN. From the very beginning, JOANN generously provided needed materials to complete unfinished projects,” said Masey Kaplan, Loose Ends Project Co-Founder. “Now, as a formal sponsor, they are providing critical resources that will allow our organization to grow and further our mission. We are aligned in the belief that a handmade object is an expression of love, and we are grateful for their support of the crafting community.”

To continue its support, JOANN will host a point-of-sale campaign for the month of February 2024, when customers can donate $1, $5, $10 or round up their purchase to the nearest dollar. All proceeds will benefit the mission of Loose Ends Project.

The idea for Loose Ends came about when the founders, both avid knitters, realized that they had a shared experience: Friends would often ask them to finish blankets, sweaters, or other projects left unfinished by deceased loved ones. They would always do so enthusiastically, understanding what it feels like to wear something a loved one has made. But not everyone has a friend who’s a skilled crafter. That’s where Loose Ends comes in. Instead of wondering where to turn, surviving family and friends can find out about the volunteer network of Loose Ends through referrals from craft stores, from an online search, or through word of mouth.

Since its formation in 2022, Loose Ends has nearly 20,000 volunteer finishers from every state in the US (plus Puerto Rico and DC), as well as in 54 other countries.

To learn more about Loose Ends or to become a finisher, or to submit a project, visit looseendsproject.org. For more information on JOANN, including store locations, visit joann.com.

ABOUT JOANN
For 80 years, JOANN has inspired creativity in the hearts, hands, and minds of its customers. From a single storefront in Cleveland, Ohio, the nation’s leader in sewing and fabrics with one of the largest arts and crafts offerings has grown to include 830 stores across 49 states and a robust ecommerce business. With the goal of helping every customer find their creative Happy Place, JOANN serves as a convenient single source for all the supplies, guidance, and inspiration needed to achieve any project or passion.

ABOUT LOOSE ENDS
Loose Ends Project is a nonprofit that aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left unfinished due to death or disability. Textile crafters of any skill level are welcome to join up as finishers, with a simple, common desire: to connect to a stranger and ease the pain of loss by finishing and returning their loved one’s handwork. All types of textile crafts are eligible to be finished. Since its launch in the summer of 2022, Loose Ends has welcomed more than 19,000 volunteer finishers and has facilitated the completion of thousands of projects.

Media contact:
Amanda Hayes
amanda.hayes@joann.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/12abdc8d-8ba8-4688-ac38-f412c37de9a7