Kiwanis Project Provides Friends and Comfort to Local Children

Dealing with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can be a difficult process, but having a friend at your side can help. The Kiwanis Club of Bradford crafted 100 trauma dolls to give as a gift to young children in honor of the 100^thanniversary of Kiwanis International, a charitable and social organization.

Through the Kiwanis Club of Bradford, the trauma dolls were created specifically for children currently experiencing ACEs. These children do not simply feel sadness and grief, but they can be scared as well. Hopefully, the dolls will provide a source of comfort for them.

Key Club members at Bradford Area High School and Kiwanis members and spouses came together to create the dolls for the children between 2- to 10-years-old. The dolls are made of cotton fabric, donated by local quilters, and soft stuffing and are “sewn with love.” They are round and very simple, with appearances similar to gingerbread boy shapes. The dolls come with a package of crayons and a note from a guardian or parent, too.

There is a reason for the simple design. The children can draw on them and can even indicate where they feel pain or injury on the dolls. It can be an outlet for children to talk to their dolls about their feelings. Medical professionals can also use the dolls to talk to them about certain procedures they need to conduct.

Kiwanis International makes dolls all over the globe, but the Kiwanis Club of Bradford hopes they can participate in this project in the future as well.

Written By CancerINCYTES

Kiwanis Project Provides Friends and Comfort to Local Children was originally published @ Cancer inCYTES Blog and has been syndicated with permission.