The Giving Doll Club of Oxford Greens Has Much to be Thankful For

From The Giving Doll Club: Members of The Giving Doll Club of Oxford Greens have so much to be thankful for and love to spend their time and resources making a copyrighted doll for children to bring them "joy, peace, faith, love and hope" during a special time.

The dolls, both boys and girls and various ethnicities are donated to shelters, both domestic violence and homeless, Ronald McDonald House, the Department of Children and Family, local hospitals and ambulances, police, individuals suffering the loss of a loved one due to death or battling, cancer, etc. Besides dolls for children, there also is a "Sunset" doll for elderly women with dementia. These dolls have been delivered to several facilities in Southbury, Bridgeport and most recently New Milford as well as to individual family members.

The Giving Doll was originated by Jan Householder, the national organization president, located in Ohio in the year 2006 and to date over 53,000 dolls have been donated all over the United States as well as overseas. There are 15 chapters, and three in Connecticut.

Our excitement was this past July when our chapter donated our 500th doll since our beginning, in November 2015. This 500th doll was given to the Burn Camp in Ashford, CT.

Our second annual No Sew Hat and Scarf meeting was held on Nov. 19 with the leftover fleece from blankets that go with each doll. We were able to have many of these much needed items to put on and under our Hat and Scarf Tree at our clubhouse for later distribution by the Oxford Police.

One very exciting donation this past July was 4 dolls to the Beacon Falls Ambulance and 12 to the Waterbury Hospital Emergency Room. Unfortunately, all the dolls on the ambulance have had to be used and we are currently replacing them as well as a couple to the Oxford Ambulance.

Our club consists of approximately 45 members and 20-25 meet twice a month to work on the dolls. Much of the sewing is done at home. We are often asked, “Why do you do this?” All our responses are because we can just picture the smiles on the children and elderly that receive them, and it warms our hearts!

For further information, or to find out how you can help, please visit “thegivingdoll.com” or contact Pat Dunton, The Giving Doll Club, Oxford Greens Chapter, 97 Country Club Drive. Oxford, CT 06478.