“Hobbies make a great topic of conversation when meeting new people. I like it because I have a lot of them: gardening, quilting, cooking, pottery, photography, printmaking and music. I can usually find a common interest. Some of these are in the past, as are my other occupations: building trades, computer programming and homemaker. Lately, I am finding small talk to be more of a challenge. Blaze STL serves a wide range individuals with different disabilities. Communication is often through facial expression and body language. Currently, I teach pottery lessons in my studio. In doing this, I came upon the idea that our pottery studio could provide good activities for disabled and underserved communities. In 2018, we created Blaze STL to meet this need .I am well aligned with our values: INCLUSION, COLLABORATION, CONFIDENCE, most likely because I got to help select them. To promote confidence, I have created projects that are simple to do but come out very nice and personal. Collaboration is important because our offering is currently limited to recreation so we need to partner with other organizations that can use our service. Inclusion is important to me because my grandson, Connor, is disabled and I want him to experience all the world has to offer. Blaze STL is a small organization and my role as director is a part time volunteer position. Most of my time is spent as a maker, primarily in pottery and quilting. My work is on Instagram at @lamplightstl ”