Receiving a handmade doll could be a turning point in a child’s life, especially if it is one made by the women of Valley View Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa.
Three years ago, Betty Moore responded to a request that she lead a group in sewing handmade dolls for the church’s missions trip to Honduras. Moore quickly recognized this as a way to be involved in the missions trip even though she could not go.
“If I were a mother and I had a child like we are ministering to, it would touch my heart to know that someone cared enough to send these gifts,” Moore said.
Now, hundreds of dolls later, Moore said this is one of the most fulfilling projects she’s ever done, and others agree.
Moore’s Sunday School class of senior women, the Gleaners Class, accepted the challenge that first year. They met at Moore’s house regularly to cut, stitch and stuff the dolls, adding lace on the girl dolls and buttons on the boy dolls. They designed a stamp in the shape of a heart with the words “Jesus loves me” in Spanish and had it produced by an office supply store. Each doll is stamped with a heart stamp. Faces are drawn on with markers.
Dedicated group
In the three years since the project began, the number of workers has increased dramatically. A core group of women regularly meets at Moore’s house to work on the dolls, but many women take the patterns home and cut, sew or stuff dolls and return them to the group.
Although the Gleaners Class still handles most of the responsibility, Moore knows children, teenagers and even some husbands who are involved. Several women in their 80s and 90s work on the project, and at least one 6-year-old helps stuff dolls.
The second year, the group decided to expand its project to include making dresses for little girls and shorts for little boys. Church members who did not sew frequented thrift stores and garage sales, buying dresses, T-shirts and other children’s clothes to include with the sewn items.
Missions opportunity
The missions team returned from the second trip reporting that children and women in Honduras lacked underclothes, so the project expanded again to include children’s underwear with each dress or pair of shorts. Many participants make weekly trips to discount stores to purchase children’s underwear, adding to the supply.
Lack of participation or commitment has not been a problem. A large number of church members and even people in other churches and surrounding cities have helped, some donating time and skills and others contributing financially.
“Many participants have shopped fabric sales and donated fabric, cotton stuffing and lace,” she said.
Earlier this year, the Gleaners and their helpers packed more than 700 dolls, more than 200 dresses and 90 T-shirts and shorts, along with underwear for each dress and pair of shorts. In addition, they gathered 34 second-hand dresses and 190 women’s panties, all of which were packed and shipped to Honduras to await the missions team.
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