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Stitches In Time Save Kids In Crises

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By DEREK MAUL

Tribune correspondent

Published: December 3, 2008

PLANT CITY - The Strawberry Stitchers club was organized in 1990 to help people in need. Activities have ranged from feeding the hungry to assisting families around the holidays to sewing teddy bears for children in crisis.

Susanne Coldwell joined in 2006, looking for friends after her move from Jacksonville. Carol Weathersbee stumbled across the group researching community service for her daughter; they joined together this past summer.

The Plant City Courier & Tribune talked with Weathersbee and Coldwell about the group's history, challenges, mission and future.

Q. What do Strawberry Stitchers do?

A. We make teddy bears for children. Our focus is the emergency room at South Florida Baptist Hospital. The bears are handmade, and they really make an impact.

Q. Do you hear from recipients?

A. Yes. Member Jann Donley has a friend named Sara Valladares. Sara received one of the first bears in the '90s. She told us, "Having the bear made me feel good inside and gave me a sense of comfort and security." Sara's 12-year-old niece still has her bear and displays it on her bed.

Q. How are they received?

A. When we come in with a bag of bears, they're like, "The bears are here!" Nurses, security guards, the children - everyone likes it.

Q. Was the club more active in the past?

A. Originally, over 20 women were active. They saw a need for children and provided bears to the police and fire departments, hospitals and Indian reservations. They also fed the poor and elderly and took care of people during holiday times.

Q. Is the need less today?

A. Absolutely not! But there was a time when more women were involved in groups like this. Now we have to be more efficient and make sure people don't waste their valuable time. We know people don't have all day anymore to sit around and talk. Most everyone is working outside the home.

Q. Where do you meet?

A. We're homeless! We met in the Plant City Winter Visitors Center for 15 years, but now they only allow revenue-producing groups. It was a budget thing; we can't pay $150 every Thursday night.

Q. How important is Strawberry Stitchers?

A. We're providing emotional support to children who are going through a struggle. When children get a bear in a crisis mode, it calms the situation down. It's something to hug, something to hold.

Q. Do you have fun?

A. It's our Thursday night therapy! And our resident comedian keeps us all in stitches in more ways than one. We have a 10th-grade girl in the group; she said, "Those ladies are funny; I guess you get funnier as you get older."

Q. How many women participate?

A. Eight at most on a meeting night, although we have members who can't come out at night. It's kind of like a production line. Some embroider, some sew, some cut fabric, some stuff the bears.

Q. How can the community help?

A. We don't need money, but we do need a place to meet. We're tidy, we clean up after ourselves, and we don't eat because our hands are too busy. We're well-stocked with supplies, but we need people to participate.

Q. Who is involved?

A. People from many walks of life. Businesswoman, a Jazzercise instructor, a substitute teacher, a high school student, women's and garden club members, a pest control professional, and longtime Plant City residents. We've also had some mother-daughter combinations over the years.

Q. Is volunteering still important?

A. With budget cuts and such, I think volunteers are more important than ever. Volunteers are picking up the slack. We have this sense of pride that we're helping kids in crisis. The children always choose these bears - we're told - because they have such a pretty smile.

Q. Do you recycle bears?

A. No. We bag them so children and parents know their bear is brand new.

Q. How many do you make?

A. Not as many as we'd like. We try to give maybe 30 a month.

Q. Are you optimistic?

A. There is always hope for a new day, new opportunity. God is good, and Plant City is a wonderful place to be. What a neat community; it's like something Disney would build, just a beautiful setting.

Q. In closing?

A. We need people, and we need a place. If we had people, we'd figure out how to get it done. It's no good having a place if we don't have people.

Correspondent Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: The Strawberry Stitchers
WHEN: The club meets 7 p.m. Thursdays and is looking for a permanent location.

INFORMATION: (813) 990-9155

@gmail.com.

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