February 11, 2004
Quota bears comfort children
Club provides 2,004 stuffed animals to help children in crisis situations
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Handing over its 2004th stuffed animal last Friday to Munson Medical Center, Quota International of Traverse City continued one facet of its mission of helping children in crisis.
Patty Schaap, a longtime member of the Quota Club, began the Stuffed Bears program in 1991, providing a child experiencing a medical crisis something to cuddle. These stuffed bears, which has since evolved into a stuffed moose, also give medical personnel a way to reach a scared or hurting youngster. The Quota Club also donates the stuffed moose to area ambulance services and walk-in clinics.
"One of the things is that it helps us establish a relationship, especially with a kid who is sick or injured," said Mark Baranski, director of emergency services at Munson Medical Center. "It also provides a focus away from the typical medical exam and provides a communication device to tell me about something that's going on for them."
"It is not a gift, not a souvenir, and it is not given to every child," Baranski added.
Schaap noted that the timely stuffed animal is appreciated by parents and grandparents of a sick or injured child.
"We've received notes from different parents, even one letter from some grandparents had a check enclosed as a thank you," said Schaap, who is known as the 'Bear Lady' and fields calls from emergency room nurses at all hours looking for more stuffed animals. "Our club is the one who got this program started in Michigan and now eight clubs have a Stuffed Bears program."
In addition to this milestone of helping area children, the Quote International of Traverse City is also celebrating Quota International's 85th birthday this year.
At their regular meeting last Wednesday evening at the Park Place Hotel, members commemorated the organization's founding shortly after World War I. Quota International now includes 355 clubs in 14 countries around the world, all of which focus on helping the hearing impaired and women and children in crisis.
"We are the very first women's service organization in the United States," noted June Neal, current president of the club.
Neal has been involved with the organization for 15 years. She became intrigued by the Quota Club and its mission while working as a teacher at Central Grade School.
"I was working with hearing impaired kids and saw that the Quota Club would buy the equipment they needed and get the kids to camp and I thought, 'Gee, I want to be involved in that group," recalled Neal.
Three annual fund-raisers allow the local chapter to help the hearing impaired and women and children in crisis: a golf outing, a cookie sale at Christmas and an auction.
The club formed the Quota International of Traverse City Foundation in 1997 to disperse funds to causes aligned with their mission. Since that time, they have given away $43,000 to both individuals and organizations. Grants have been used for everything from scholarships and medical care to parenting classes and the purchase of hearing dogs.
The club has also sponsored captioned films for the hearing impaired and a sign language interpreter for Santa Claus. Members also fund the purchase of educational materials for the Traverse Bay Intermediate School District's hearing department.
The club also has adopted Miracle Manor as a cause, in keeping with their emphasis on women and children in crisis.
"The club has always been fairly small in number but huge in works," Neal noted.