If you ever have a child in Children’s Mercy Hospital and they are excited to receive a wooden toy from the hospital, you might be surprised to know that the toy was made in…Garnett. Pastor of the First Christian Church, Darrell Herd had the idea of making toys for the hospital back in 2014. A group of men began meeting and crafting cutout toys. Only one original member of the group is still with them…Darwin Hamilton, but 27 others help create the toys. They are used in “Make A Hug” bags, placing them in ziplock bags with markers. The bags are handed out in the ER waiting rooms to families and provide a fun and safe project for the children to work on to distract them from growing impatient.
Nicki Johnson, the director of Volunteer Services and In-Kind Giving/Department of Philanthropy at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, visited a unique, volunteer woodworking shop in Garnett recently. She says the toys have also helped play a role with children with mental disorders and other challenges with a safe, fun and creative activity.
If you would like to join the group or donate, they meet every Monday morning at 8:30 and Wednesday afternoon at 1:30. Give the First Christian Church a call, or give us a call at KOFO and we’ll point you to the right people.
