MONTGOMERY, AL – (BNc) — Twelve ladies from the Dalraida Church of Christ in Montgomery, Alabama met Monday morning, May 22nd, for their monthly “Teddy Bear Workshop Day” from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Their monthly goal is to make 125 bears each session. Jill Johnson, one of the elder’s wives, said, “We always reach our goal.”
The Teddy Bear program began in the fall of 2008 as a source of providing love and comfort for children in distress due to sickness and accidents at the Jackson Hospital Emergency Room and Surgery Center in Montgomery. 100 bears are delivered to the ER and 25 to the surgery center each month. Not only are the bears given to children in the hospital, but personnel at the hospital have found that dementia patients also respond favorably to the cheerful little bears.
Approximately 25 ladies participate in this work throughout the year. By June 1, 2023, a total of 21,200 bears will have been delivered since the work began 21 years ago.
The ladies have developed a system that allows them to work together to produce the bears. Different stations are set up in the fellowship room at the church building, including those who sew the bears, stuff the bears, hand-stitch them, paint their faces, and package them. A label that says, “Made With Love,” includes the church name and address and is sewn to the back of the bear. When the bears are completed and placed inside the corsage bag, the ladies include a colorful printout of encouragement including times of church services as a final step.
The bags of bears are delivered to the hospital the following day by Regina Stringer, the leader of the group. Not only does this ministry provide joy for those participating, but it also creates good will and comfort for the less fortunate.
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