BROWNSTOWN
As she added a handmade stuffed bear to the collection on the windowsill, Brynn Burton thought about who will receive it.
The 62 bears that the 12 members of the Dolls of Hope enrichment club at Brownstown Central Middle School made will soon be shipped and wind up in the hands of refugee children around the world.
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“I’m thinking about all of the kids that are homeless and were running refuge and they don’t have anything except for the clothes on their back,” the sixth-grader said. “It’s probably a great gift to get a bear or something. I hope it makes a difference in their life. I think it may let them know that there’s hope and there’s a chance that they can pull through.”
During enrichment club meetings for six Wednesdays, the students made their way to Amanda Newby’s classroom.
The first task was to cut out the patterns out of paper and place the patterns on the material. Then each of them sewed at least one bear on a sewing machine. For most of them, it was their first time using that device.
The next step was to turn the bear inside out so it could be stuffed with Poly-Fil. Then they sewed up the hole, put on the face, placed it on the windowsill and moved on to the next one.
The material was donated by Ginger Axsom and Brenda Bean, and Bean also brought in a sewing machine and helped students use it. The students’ parents donated the Poly-Fil.
“I was just blown away because that Poly-Fil just started flowing in,” Newby said. “One student even brought in a big 10-pound box of Poly-Fil.”
The initial goal was to make 45 bears, but the students worked hard and exceeded that.
“It has been impressive to watch the students and see the progress they’ve made and see the hard work they have put into it and the heart and soul that they put into it, as well,” Newby said. “I really enjoy listening to them talk about the little children who will possibly get their bears and how happy they will be whenever they do get the bear.”
Newby said she found out about Dolls of Hope three months ago. Every year on Nov. 30, she, her mom and her grandmother like to do something special in memory of her brother.
Since he would have turned 41 this year, the three were working on putting together 41 dolls. That, however, came to a halt when her grandmother died.
Newby then thought it would be a great activity for the enrichment club. Every trimester, the students can pick from various clubs to join. They meet in the middle of the day each Wednesday.
“I thought it would be something that they would be able to do,” she said. “They would be able to make the bears, and it’s something they could do to contribute to other people. Here at Brownstown Central Middle School, these kids always seem willing to help out other people, and I just thought it was a way they could do that.”
The last bear-making session was Nov. 28, and the students had a celebration the next week.
Now, the bears will be sent to Dolls of Hope, which will mail them to refugee children.
“They’ve really worked so hard,” Newby said. “I just want them to remember that they can make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Plus, she said it was good for the students to learn sewing by hand and machine.
“I think that could be beneficial for them throughout their entire life, whether they are sewing patches on their uniforms for work or sewing a button on their clothes for church or what have you,” Newby said. “It will be something that they will always have. Some of these students, I think, might go on to a quilt in the future and maybe curtains for their home. I think they have the confidence to do that now.”
Sixth-grader Bella Brown she said joined the Dolls of Hope club because she likes fabric crafts. She had cross-stitched before, so that helped in doing this project.
“I feel like when you get older, you can sew other things either for fun or if you really need this,” she said.
Fellow sixth-grader Braedyn Stidams said he had done sewing by machine and hand with his grandmother, who has her own store. He was able to help some of his classmates if they needed it.
“It was really fun because I got to cut it out and stuff it and sew it, and then get to think about kids are going to be able to play with these and see how cute they become,” he said. “I want them to be really happy that they got one.”
Sixth-grader Abigail Tovey said she learned a lot by helping with the project.
“I had some knowledge about sewing,” she said. “Knowing that I could gain more experience through this program is pretty good, and knowing that I can make someone’s day and make their lives better, it’s really cool.”
Raeahna Robinson also liked seeing everything come together.
“When we first started, we cut out pieces of paper and fabric,” the sixth-grader said. “I liked how everyone was working together, and I’m just excited for the kids to be able to get them.”
Classmate Trinity Acton also noted how the group worked together.
“It has been really good hanging out with friends and getting to know each other more,” she said. “I like how it’s going to give kids something to play with.”
Seventh-graders Briana Barker and Peyton Spence had a good time working with each other.
“I think it’s very fun to do,” Barker said. “I just think that we should let them know that we’re keeping them in our prayers and we’re thinking about them. They don’t have toys, they don’t have anything, so when they know they have something, it’s meaningful to them and will them get through their struggles.”
Spence said it’s good for the kids to know there are people out there who care about them.
Sixth-grader Star Watson said it made her happy to help with the project, and she hopes the bears make the recipients happy, too.
Classmate Alexia Manns also said it made her feel good inside knowing she was doing something good for kids around the world.
“I think it’s important because kids around the world don’t get a lot of stuff for Christmas or other holidays that they have,” she said. “I just think this is a really good club so we can make stuff for kids all around the world that need stuff to play with.”
Newby said she got a lot out of the project, too.
“I enjoy getting to know the kids individually and getting to know their personalities,” she said. “I love my students, and I love being this teacher in this classroom. I only have a few students, so this gives me access to more students, and I really enjoy getting to know them more.”
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For information about Dolls of Hope, visit carrythefuture.org/announcements/dolls-hope.
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