On Friday, Oct. 18, several students and faculty members met at the Women’s Center in the Memorial Gymnasium to create “comfort dolls.”
Comfort dolls were originally created by Pat Winters, a blogger that encouraged people to sew handmade dolls for survivors of domestic violence. The project has seen great success beginning with its creation in 2007, with thousands of dolls created since.
“I’m always looking for projects for our Makers Space,” Jessica Fleener, the manager of the Making, Innovating, and Learning Laboratory, said. I stumbled upon the Comfort Doll project, and I knew instantly it was the perfect time for us to do a joint project with the women’s center. It was perfect for domestic violence awareness and a way to give back to our communities.”
The Women’s Center and the MILL decided to make comfort dolls to support Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“Domestic Violence Awareness Month is every October,” Katrina Critchfield, the Program Coordinator for the Women’s Center, said. “The idea behind it is to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence, what the signs or signals of an abusive or unhealthy relationship are, and to put forth information about what resources are available to folks that are experiencing domestic violence and for folks to show up and stand in solidarity with survivors.”
“[The dolls] are a reminder that you’re not alone in the world. Somebody is thinking of you, and somebody is there for you,” Fleener said. “And it’s just that little bit of caring in the world, because not everybody can remember that there’s somebody out there.”
The “crafternoon” was a comfortable experience for participants. Attendees were supplied with snacks, material for the dolls and easy conversation. The event was open to all regardless of their level of skill. “Even though I didn’t know how to sew, the lovely people here helped me out, and I learned something new today,” Lizvet, a freshman studying Marketing, said. Lizvet had heard about the event on Instagram. “It was really fun, I liked it. I enjoyed it a lot.”
The dolls will be donated to local advocacy organizations, such as Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse.
Cal Torres can be reached at [email protected]