Stuffed animals can bring a lot of joy and comfort to children, especially in tough situations. This is why a group of women for years has been making toys especially for children in hospitals.
The women call their group the Toymakers, the Delaware State News reports. They are part of the Women’s Round Table Club of Wyoming-Camden. They meet 10 times a year to make stuffed animals which are donated to kids at Bayhealth Kent General Hospital.
The group does this since 1975. The women offer their stuffed animals to kids of all ages and no matter the reason why they are in the hospital. “Knowing that these toys are going to sick kids or kids that are scared in the hospital is a great feeling,” says Judy Remalia of Magnolia, a member of the Toymakers.
The Toymakers create all kinds of stuffed animals. Usually they have themes for the fabric they use and the toys they create. Their last meeting was this September when then focused on creating mainly toys with a Halloween print and theme.
Over the past 40 years the group has created exactly 14 356 stuffed animals and all of then have been donated to children. How to the women know the exact number? The group keeps a detailed log of all meetings since its inception. In the log they keep info like what toys were made, how many and so on.
While work at home is allowed and done, most of the work is done during the meetings. Every participant has a specific role. “A few of the women here had never even sewn before joining, so they start with the basics like cutting patterns, stuffing the animals or stitching them closed after they’ve been stuffed,” says Edith Jarman, a participant since the 1970s.
While the exact number of members in the Toymakers varies, there are always about 15 women present at each meeting which is a monthly event. Most of them are retired, but there are young women, too. Nothing gets thrown out. The leftover fabric is used for other projects. The women volunteer at shelters for homeless, they host fundraisers for scholarships and help a lot of people.
