Care Bear ministry comforts children

The church's Care Bear Ministry creates 250 stuffed animals each month. They deliver 50 bears to Madison Urgent Care on U.S. 72 W. and 200 to the Huntsville Hospital emergency room.

BY GREGG L. PARKER

A child in an emergency room faces frightening machines and unfamiliar sounds. During this scary time, a stuffed Teddy bear made at Madison Church of Christ can comfort the child.

The church’s Care Bear Ministry creates 250 stuffed animals each month. They deliver 50 bears to Madison Urgent Care on U.S. 72 W. and 200 to the Huntsville Hospital emergency room.

“Doctors and nurses love our bears,” volunteer Shirley Hargrave said. “When we deliver the bears, they run to see what we have.” At Madison Urgent Care, a wagon with side planks displays the bears.

Church volunteers have made the bears for at least 20 years. “Maybe longer,” she said. “It takes a lot of women to make 250 bears each month. I’m only a small part of this.”

“The bears keep the children from crying,” she said. “Doctors and nurses can check them better.” In a hospital room, an older patient may receive a bear and hold on tight for security.

One day each month, about 25 volunteers work on the bears in the morning, and then another crew of about ten finalizes the construction that evening.

Church volunteers have set up an ‘assembly line’ of steps to make the bears. Madison Church of Christ members buy the fabric, usually cotton, that can accept paint. They buy colors and patterns to blend with face painting.

First, the ‘cutters’ cut out the bear’s outline from rolls of fabric. “We have ‘painters’ who paint faces on the bears and add other designs like elephants,” she said.

Some of the work is done at home, like sewing to bind the back and front. Back at the church, another set of people stuff the bears with cotton. “Finally, we sew up the legs and tie the ribbons,” she said.

People decide the step that they can do best. “Everybody can stuff. Men often help out with the stuffing,” she said.

After finishing the Care Bears, the volunteers “feel wonderful about doing something to help a child,” she said.