Crocheting for a Cause

I am a volunteer doll maker for Feel Better Friends, a nonprofit organization where volunteers crochet custom dolls from photographs for children with serious illnesses. The organization was created by Shannon Fouquet in May 2014, and has grown to include more than 300 volunteers from around the world. To see if you can create the pattern used by Feel Better Friends for all the dolls made, all volunteers must create a test doll. I created my test doll in late February, and was accepted into the group March 1st. I received my first assignment shortly after that, for a boy named Gabe.

 

I love his shoes!

Feel Better Friends is broken up into regions, and a moderator is assigned to each group. When we receive a request, a caregiver for the child fills out a form, including a e-mail for any questions and an address where they would like to have the doll shipped. Sometimes caregivers give very specific request to be included on the doll - scars, tubes or a quote to be included with the doll. Yarn, stuffing and postage are all the responsibility of the volunteer, though we do get reimbursed for shipping if we provide a receipt. Sometimes we get pictures of the children with their dolls... I love seeing their smiles.

Here's Gabe with his mini me.

These are some of my other dolls:

Raelynn, with her curly hair

Here's the two of them together.

Owen... he has a mohawk!

Josie had a feeding tube in her nose, and she was going to have a G tube inserted, so I crocheted both.

Shannon has created a fundraiser through August 31 to support Feel Better Friends.  Lots of independent consultants are offering a portion of their proceeds to Feel Better Friends. Soon there will be an online auction of amigurumi and other crocheted items to offset postage reimbursements. Be sure to like Feel Better Friends on Facebook for more information (the post for the auction is here).

I have my next assignment, for a boy named Jackson. I haven't started his mini me, but he's a redhead, so I'm excited. It feels good, crocheting for an important cause.