York teacher’s origami hobby turns into something ‘much bigger’: Helping abuse survivors

YORK, Maine — The origami cranes were piled high and spilling out of Michael Stone’s big wooden bowl, and last year he wasn’t sure what to do with them.

Now, the cranes are hanging in chains from the Brixham Montessori School, where Stone teaches, as well as a few local storefronts. Several have gone home with people who bought them not only for their beauty but to give proceeds to the survivors of domestic abuse.

Stone recently donated a check of $2,300 to Caring Unlimited in Sanford, which works to help domestic abuse survivors. The money came from his origami sales — the Chains of Cranes Project that Stone launched after helping a friend escape an abusive relationship.

Stone loved origami as a child and has now found joy in hand-folding the cranes and selling them in $25 chains that can be hung for decoration. They can be purchased at A Little Something in South Berwick and at Kit Supply and Co. in Kittery’s Foreside. They will soon be at TipToe Eco Marketplace in Kennebunk, as well.

“I started out just folding papers, and wanting to keep busy and de-stress myself,” Stone said. “It’s kind of turned into something much bigger than that.”

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A childhood origami hobby resurfaces later in life

Stone, a longtime teacher at the Montessori School, had not thought about origami in years when he stumbled on some books from when he was younger. His Aunt Jackie had given him three origami books when he was 9 years old in 1968, teaching him to fold the classic origami crane and other shapes.

Stone, now 63, found the books again a couple of years ago after going through his father’s stuff after he died. The discovery brought back memories.

“I found the books and remembered, ‘Oh my gosh, I loved working with paper,’” Stone said. “As a kid I loved it.”

Stone decided to introduce origami to his students, so he began looking up YouTube videos about ways to make other shapes like hearts and frogs. He brought the origami papers to school and had his students incorporate the art form into projects they were doing.

At home, the paper folding became a way to decompress. He always liked the crane because it symbolizes peace, mindfulness and new beginnings. He made a habit of sitting at his dining room table, folding the cranes to pass time and throwing them in his big wooden bowl. He had no idea what to do when the bowl would fill up.

“It’s like, ‘OK, what do I do with these?’” he said.

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A friend in need

Stone said last spring he discovered his friend was a victim of ongoing domestic abuse. He said his friend confided that he was dealing with intense emotional abuse in which his partner would frequently give the silent treatment for weeks on end.

His partner also employed controlling tactics such as hiding car keys to prevent him from driving, Stone learned. He said his friend was increasingly traumatized to the point that he could not leave the house to socialize without “sneaking” as to avoid being seen leaving.

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“I said, ‘I have to do something to help this guy,’” Stone said. “I can’t hear these stories about what is happening in his life and not do something to help him.”

Stone told his friend to call him any time that he needed help. Last July, Stone said he was on a garden tour in Kittery Point when he got a call from his friend saying he needed help immediately and that he did not feel safe. Stone left the tour and went to pick his friend up, and for the next two months, he and his partner welcomed him into the safe space of their home.

Chains of Cranes Project is born

It was around this time that Stone returned once again to the cranes at his dining room table to contemplate how he could help. The bowl was soon spilling over. Stone began talking with his own partner about how to put those cranes to some good use.

Stone had heard about Caring Unlimited, which provides help for survivors as well as resources and education. The organization serves all of York County, and Stone had begun to hear more and more about them from others as he sought help for his friend.

“I was shocked at how many colleagues said to me, ‘Oh, I know about Caring Unlimited, it’s a place that supports domestic abuse survivors,’” Stone said. “The name just kept coming up.”

In talking with his partner, Stone came upon a turn of phrase he quite liked.

“I said, ‘What can I do? Maybe I can make chains of cranes,’” Stone said. “Chains of Cranes. That’s a pretty good name.”

They decided to call it the Chains of Cranes Project, and together they would sell the chains to raise money for Caring Unlimited. As they got to work on putting the chains together, they met more and more people who said they could help share the product to get the word out. More people than he realized had some connection to domestic abuse and Caring Unlimited’s services.

“I was blown away, actually,” Stone said. “How many people had either used their resources or knew about them.”

Chains of Cranes sales go to Caring Unlimited

Stone said his friend has now found a temporary place to live, and Stone himself has learned more than he ever thought he would about domestic abuse. Part of what was eye-opening, he said, was that he never considered his friend, a gay man, might experience domestic abuse. Stone, who is gay, said he even consulted Caring Unlimited about the reality of domestic violence impacting LGBTQ+ people and learned that such incidences are more common than people realize.

“Domestic violence is kind of hidden,” Stone said. “It’s out there, everywhere, but it is sort of hidden.”

As he continues his project, Stone is refining his chains little by little. He said he learns as he goes, recently adding beads between the cranes so they can turn more easily. He constantly looks for new paper patterns and is now adding charms to the bottom of the chain. Some charms are in the shape of a crane, while other options include the state of Maine and New Hampshire.

Stone keeps 50% of the proceeds to buy the materials it takes to make the chains. Stone does not expect to make a fortune off the chains, but he is happy to find purpose in a hobby he started when he was just a child.

“There’s a part of me that would love for this to take off, and there’s a realistic part to this,” Stone said. “I’m loving it where it is right now.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York teacher’s origami hobby helps abuse survivors, Caring Unlimited