Teenagers Quilt for Pittsburgh Homeless
Story originally published by Trib Live.
Two second grade girls took matters into their own hands when they heard former President Barack Obama addressing the nation about its high unemployment rate. Five years later, the now teenagers have recycled hundreds of donated T-shirts and turned them into quilts for the homeless.
Pittsburgh students Griffin Kerstetter and Annie Yonas partnered with United Way and Community Human Services to start the HomeLost Project-a project that makes quilts to provide warmth and comfort to area homeless individuals. Each quilt is made with 12 T-shirts, 24 squares, and a felt backing.
"We have had different patterns that go into the quilt… like the one that was black and gold and some that were rainbows," Griffin told Trib Live. "A lot of people like to get the quilt down to a science."
The 13-year-olds recently asked their community for support, and ended up receiving enough donations to fill two basements with T-shirts. The young women hope that by getting other kids involved, it will inspire them to join the mission.
"I think it's important for kids because I hear them in class and I don't appreciate the way some of them talk about homeless people," Griffin said. "They talk about it like they are bad people, but a majority of them are people just like us, but have had some unexpected event happen to them."