Here’s yet another example of the greatness of teens and kids. Madison Allen from Edgar County makes hundreds of teddy bears by hand to give to other kids.
Allen is a high school senior at the Shiloh High. She started a small project of helping out others, but then it blossomed into an even bigger one.
Allen donates her teddy bears to the Cunningham Children’s Home and the local hospital. Also on her donation list are the Crisis Nursery and the Illinois State Police. She wants to help bring children in need some joy and comfort.
“I found these bears, but they were making them out of towels and I was trying to think of ways I could improve that,” said Allen to the Illinois Homepage. “So I figured out that you can make them out of blankets too.”
People from the community donated blankets and she starter to work. “She said, ‘if you’ll get me some fabric, I’ll show you how to make them.’ In five minutes, she had one made and the other students just adored it,” said Carolyn McIntyre, who is Allen’s home economics teacher. “They said, ‘this is really cute.'”
Allen spent some time in the hospital herself as a kid. She knows that during these moments you need something to bring you a smile. And a teddy bear is a great way to do so. “It is just an amazing feeling to know I have helped someone in some way. I just want them to know that they’re very loved and that no matter where they go, they’ll always be cared for,” said Allen.
