The Patchworks Mission
This memoir chronicles the journey from an everyday Brunswick classroom to Africa's highest peak during a cancer battle. Written during chemotherapy, it captures the raw truth that our biggest failures often lead to our most meaningful purposes, and it planted the seed for everything Patchworks has become.
When I couldn't summit Kilimanjaro, a visit to the Moshi Kids Centre changed the entire trajectory of what Patchworks would become. This Tanzanian school provides education, nutrition, and care to vulnerable children in the Kilimanjaro region — and it's the heart of everything we do. If you want to understand Patchworks, start here.
Maine's largest newspaper covered how a Brunswick special education teacher turned a mountain setback into a nonprofit mission serving Tanzanian students — capturing the heart of the Patchworks origin story and proving local organizations can think globally. Read the Portland Press Herald feature on Patchworks Inc.
Kivo Daily profiled the full Patchworks origin story, from losing both parents to cancer through the Kilimanjaro attempt and the founding of the nonprofit. The piece captures how grief became a catalyst for global education work in Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
World Reporter covered the Patchworks founding story, highlighting the connection between a cancer diagnosis, a failed summit, and the decision to serve Tanzanian educators. The article details how a conversation with a local teacher named Steve about missing school supplies sparked the entire organization.
Women's Journal featured the Patchworks story through the lens of resilience and legacy — how personal loss and a redirected Kilimanjaro climb led to founding an organization that now supplies schools and children across Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Read the Women's Journal feature on Tiffany Jones and Patchworks Inc.
The original GoFundMe that started it all — raising funds for cancer research while training to climb Kilimanjaro through chemotherapy. This campaign became the first chapter of the Patchworks fundraising story and proved that fighting for others gives us strength to fight for ourselves. Read the campaign and support the Patchworks mission.
After discovering the Moshi Kids Centre, Patchworks launched this campaign to collect school supplies for Tanzanian students. Brunswick community members filled boxes with pencils, notebooks, and hope. Education is the bridge Patchworks builds between cultures.
Episode 42 of the Walking Post podcast tells the complete Patchworks origin story, from cancer diagnosis through the failed Kilimanjaro summit to founding the nonprofit. Hosted by Jim Cornall, this conversation captures the full arc in the founder's own words.
Follow Patchworks on Instagram for behind-the-scenes training updates, Tanzania stories, and real-time community highlights — where the day-to-day work of building a nonprofit comes to life. Follow @patchworksinc_ on Instagram and join the mission.