Jackie Roanhaus, owner of Pass Time Fabrics, 28 N East Street, Greenfield (second from the right) and her friends handed out 75 handmade quilts to officials from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department as a way of saying thanks to law enforcement for all they do.
HANCOCK COUNTY — The idea started about a year ago when a local businesswoman wanted to do something to thank the county’s deputies and police officers for all they do in the community. The heartfelt plan is wrapping up this summer with the delivery of some 200 handmade quilts.
Jackie Roanhaus, owner of Pass Time Fabrics, 28 N East Street, Greenfield thought why not make a handmade quilt for each of the county’s officers at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and Greenfield Police Department to let them know the community has them covered in support.
She put the word out among her sewing friends and before she knew it, after some hard work, Roanhaus had 200 handmade quilts and set out to deliver them. She dropped off 75 of the new handmade quilts to the HCSD Monday, June 27 after having dropped off 45 to the GPD back in May.
“We just wanted to thank our law enforcement for everything they do for the community,” Roanhaus said. “They do so many things that we don’t see, but we know they do things and are there keeping us safe whether we acknowledge it or not.”
Greenfield Chief of Police Brian Hartman said his department wanted to send out a big thank you to Jackie Roanhaus of Pass Time Fabrics and all the ladies involved in making the quilts.
“I cannot tell them enough how appreciative these types of gestures are,” Hartman said. “It really means a lot to the officers to see this type of support from the community.”
Hartman noted the quilts are the kind of gifts that can be kept and passed down over time and will have a lasting effect with the officers.
“I can not be happier to be the chief of police in a community like the one we have,” Hartman said.
Roanhaus said it felt good to do something for the law enforcement to show them people in the county do understand what they do. Roanhaus had plenty of help from her local sewing friends to create all the quilts with many friends and sewers stepping up. Some dropped off finished quilts or tops while others helped and put in the the time to finish off the quilts.
“We were all kind of looking for a good project and just came up with this plan,” Roanhaus said. “With all the stuff going on in the world nowdays, we just wanted to give back and tell local law enforcement how much we appreciate them.”
The sheriff’s public information officer, Capt. Robert Harris said, each of the quilts has a tag on the back that includes the name of the person who made it or the organization that donated it to the cause.
“It truly was a community effort to thank our deputies for their service,” Harris said. “We are very appreciative and were very grateful for the level of support we received.”
Roanhaus isn’t finished just yet with the giving. She and her friends have about 40 quilts left and plan to drop them off with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department jail workers, who she said do some of the hardest work in the county with little recognition.
Roanhaus is a longtime quilter and sewer who opened Pass Time Fabrics in downtown Greenfield back in January 2020.
