January 28, 2020 BLOG POST

Antartica if you can believe it!

In November, 2019 we mailed out a "Good Bye" letter to our many Dollies Making A Difference supporters, about the decision our membership had made to "sunset" our beloved organization.  In this letter, we mentioned how we had distributed Dollies...

January 5, 2020 BLOG POST

Still more stories to tell…

As we wind down Dollies Making A Difference to its conclusion in early 2020, we find there are still important stories to tell about the impact our little Dollies and Teddy Bears are making around the world.  Here is one story that has just been sha...

December 28, 2019 BLOG POST

Dollies Farewell

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December 12, 2019 BLOG POST

Honoring 10 years of our beloved Dollies Making A Difference

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December 11, 2019 BLOG POST

Dollies light up the dark Nepali night!

Aloha Medical Mission is a team of dentists from Honolulu, Hawaii who travel on several medical mission trips each year to far away countries to serve those in need.  Here is a story of their most recent trip: Three and one half hours of bump...

December 9, 2019 BLOG POST

Dollie Ambassadors Sara, Caroline and Jon travel to Egypt

Dollie member Sara Kutler traveled to Egypt with her husband Jon and daughter Caroline. In the midst of their travels around this fascinating country, they served as Dollie Ambassadors.  Here is their story: Caroline, Jon and I, Dollie Ambass...

November 25, 2019 BLOG POST

Dollie Ambassadors return to the Border

November 2019 Tucson/Nogales: It’s the same border, but we are in a different world. Darleen Guien and Deirdre Roney Humanitarian trip Deirdre and I drove from Los Angeles to Tucson, Arizona in a car packed to the gills with Dollies ...

October 29, 2019 BLOG POST

It Takes a Village: Brownsville, Texas

Dollie members Darleen and Deirdre recently spent several weeks on the Texas/Mexico border, being of service in many different ways to refugees seeking a better life in the United States.  We sent them with Dollies, Teddy Bears, scarves, caps, and s...

October 10, 2019 BLOG POST

Small Steps Mission – The Podiatry Institute

We received this lovely reflection from Dollie Ambassador Linda Kuehmann, who just returned from a medical mission trip to El Salvador with The Podiatry Institute, Decatur Georgia. Hi Dollie makers! It's been a couple of weeks since our team ...

April 15, 2019 BLOG POST

A journey to the border towns of Arizona and Texas

Who among us has not been swept up in the media coverage which is occurring on our southern border? Dollie Ambassador and founding member Deirdre Roney is someone who does not hesitate to “go to the front line” to explore and experience so...

April 10, 2019 BLOG POST

Pack for a Purpose travels with Teddy Bears to Kenya

Say you are traveling to a far away country on a much anticipated vacation, and you want to make a contribution to the people who live there by bringing donations with you such as school supplies, and arts & crafts. You are in luck, as you ca...

March 24, 2019 BLOG POST

Serving as a Dollie Ambassador from a child’s perspective

Andrea (with pigtails on the right!) may be our youngest Dollie Ambassador to date!  In her own words, Andrea shares with us her story: "My name is Andrea and I am 11 years old.  I went to Costa Rica to give Dollies from Dollies Making A Dif...

March 22, 2019 BLOG POST

A humanitarian visit to Ciudad-Juarez, Mexico

Dollie lady and many time Dollie Ambassador Deirdre Roney traveled to the border town of Ciudad-Juarez, along with a group of persons who advocate for women and children victims of domestic violence. Here is her story: We visited Sin Violenci...

March 22, 2019 BLOG POST

Into a Bamboo forest in Vietnam

Longtime Dollie lady and (4) time Dollie Ambassador Darleen Guien shared her most recent excursion with us - Enjoy! "I am traveling in a group of 11 with Overseas Adventure  Travel, a nonprofit that helps, through Grand Circle, the local ec...

February 12, 2019 BLOG POST

Colorectal Team Overseas travels to Costa Rica

  Colorectal Team Overseas (CTO) of Columbus, Ohio found Dollies Making A Difference (DMAD) through our website. They reached out to us asking to take Dollies and Teddy Bears with them on their medical mission trip to San Jose, Costa Ric...

February 6, 2019 BLOG POST

The 2019 Carrie Scott Dollie Grant

Often when describing what Dollies Making A Difference (DMAD) is all about, we mention we are like a Three Legged Stool: Community, Connection and Comfort. We value the community of women who meet once a week around a big table where we work t...

February 5, 2019 Press

Neighborhoods First Newsletter

From Palisades, With Love: Dollies Making a Difference   Cindy Simon has lived in Pacific Palisades with her husband Bill and their children since 1990 and has dedicated much of her life to giving back through charity. Cindy is the c...

October 22, 2018 BLOG POST

San Fernando Woodworkers, San Fernando Quilt makers and Dollies Making A Difference

Each year, members of the San Fernando Valley Woodworkers (SFVW) get together to design and build toys for underprivileged children who receive them as gifts during the holiday season.  Nearly one thousand wooden toys are made each year for (14)...

September 21, 2018 BLOG POST

Dollies on my shelf

Because my friends and family know how I love Dollies, sometimes they will (so thoughtfully!) pick one up for me on their travels near and far. My Dollie collection has grown through the years, and now I have a special set of shelves in my work r...

September 5, 2018 BLOG POST

Las Crucitas School in Guatemala

[video width="960" height="540" mp4="http://dolliesmakingadifference.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Escuelita-Las-Crucitas_Small3.mp4"][/video] ...

September 3, 2018 BLOG POST

Quilts to support Dollies Making A Difference

We have so many ladies who volunteer their time and creativity to Dollies Making A Difference.  Two of these talented ladies are quilters; Carolyn McGraw and Judy Kaneko.  Each lady has created beautiful crib-size quilts which they deliver to t...

September 2, 2018 BLOG POST

Dollie Ambassador Laure in Bangladesh

Dollie member Laure Weber is a long time Dollie Ambassador, as she works with Doctors without Borders and travels yearly to far away places where there are children in great need of the most basics of comfort and care.  This summer Laure went to...

September 1, 2018 BLOG POST

Rainbow School in Nairobi, Kenya

Dollie Ambassador Sally Nelson lives in Southern California and is the director of Anza Tena Dream Center and African Children's Outreach. The vision and mission of Anza Tena is "to assist African children, youth and families; those who are poor,...

June 21, 2018 Press

Casa Franciscana Outreach

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April 9, 2018 BLOG POST

Lighthouse Medical Mission back to Gambia

Lighthouse Medical Mission (LMM), under the direction of Santa Monica Pediatrician Dr. Bob Hamilton, has been traveling to Western Africa for the past 21 years. In January, Dr. Hamilton and a team of doctors, nurses, and volunteers traveled to Th...

March 18, 2018 Press

Charity Matters feature Dollies

Dollies Making a Difference Published by Charity Matters on March 16, 2018.   Do you remember that childhood toy that you treasured and cherished? A stuffed animal or doll that you carried everywhere, that made you feel safe and loved...

March 14, 2018 BLOG POST

Dollies, Teddy Bears, Cribs and Quilts

Dollie lady Pat Bauer introduced Dollies Making A Difference (DMAD) to The San Fernando Valley Woodworkers (SFWW).  This club, which meets in Encino, California, was formed in 1988 by persons who enjoy woodworking.  It is filled with members of...

March 14, 2018 BLOG POST

Williams College and Sunglasses

Every January for the past 16 years, Dr. Alan White, a professor at Williams College, travels with a team of medical professionals from the New England School of Optometry on a service trip to Nicaragua.  He brings along 12 of his college studen...

March 13, 2018 BLOG POST

The Hope Chest for Women travel from NC to Honduras

Mr. Owen Lovejoy of The Hope Chest for Women (HCW) in North Carolina, contacted Dollies Making A Difference through reading about our organization on our website.  While HCW's primary purpose is providing care and support for women in Western No...

March 8, 2018 BLOG POST

All Saints Beverly Hills Episcopal Church 18th visit to Honduras

Every year for the past 18 years, medical professionals and parishioners from All Saints Episcopal Church of Beverly Hills, travel to Honduras to serve those in need.  This year we sent them with over 60 Dollies and Teddy Bears! ...

February 28, 2018 BLOG POST

Valentines in 2018

Once again, Dollies Making A Difference partnered with UCLA Medical Center by creating hundreds of hand made Valentines to be delivered to patients young and old by People-Animal Connection, the hospital's therapy dog program.  We also donated V...

February 27, 2018 BLOG POST

Aloha Medical Missions to India

Dollies and Teddy Bears were delivered to children at Shraddha Hospital in India by doctors from Aloha Medical Mission.  This very special little girl, eight year old Niyati Nayak, arrived at the hospital with her parents who had read an adverti...

January 30, 2018 BLOG POST

Aloha Medical Mission spreads Aloha in Nepal

We are always on the look out for worthy recipient organizations for our Dollies and Teddy Bears... and we find them in the most unexpected places! A Dollie lady was in the midst of her annual exam with her Los Angeles internist, when the g...

November 18, 2017 BLOG POST

Small Steps in Houston

In late August 2017 Hurricane Harvey tore through southern Texas and devastated Houston and the surrounding area.  The National Weather Service had warned the people of Houston and beyond, "This event will be unprecedented and all impacts ar...

November 18, 2017 BLOG POST

Medicine for Humanity in Uganda

Every September  UCLA doctors, nurses, and volunteers with Medicine for Humanity (MFH) travel to Mbarara,Uganda, for a two week medical-surgical "camp" where they perform life-changing fistula surgery on women in need.  Dr. Chris Tarney, UCLA's Ch...

November 15, 2017 BLOG POST

Indiana University goes to Uganda

Students from the SPEA (School of Public and Environmental Affairs) at Indiana University embarked on a service trip last spring to Jinga, Uganda.  Through a partnership with The Foundation for Sustainable Development's (FSD), students gained�...

November 7, 2017 BLOG POST

Experimenting with hair bows!

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November 7, 2017 BLOG POST

“Winding Way… Walking, Talking, Listening”

“Winding Way” began as a discussion around the Dollie table in early September 2017. We were talking about how everyday life seemed so rushed, to the point where we often found ourselves too busy to appreciate the wonder of this special commu...

October 3, 2017 BLOG POST

Emma in Kabale, Uganda

Dollie Ambassador Emma Sczudlo traveled to Kabale, Uganda on a USC educational course to learn about the Ugandan healthcare system in rural areas. She and her classmates handed out Dollies and Teddy Bears at a healthcare outreach program host...

August 13, 2017 BLOG POST

Cradle of Love – A Dollie Ambassador’s story

The joy of serving as a Dollie Ambassador: I can't begin to put into words the amazing experience we had taking the dollies and teddy bears to the "Cradle of Love" Orphanage in Tanzania.  For the few weeks that the box of dollies sat in my en...

July 30, 2017 BLOG POST

OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center – Camp Erin session I

After a weekend of sharing and learning coping skills on how to deal with the loss of a loved one, these children received a gift from Dollies Making A Difference - Dollies and Teddy Bears! ...

July 7, 2017 Press

“The Queens of Chavara”

The Queens of Chavara: Carmelite sisters at ground zero of India’s AIDS epidemic   July 10, 2017 issue written by Paul Wilkes, director & founder of Homes of Hope India Five time Dollie Ambassador, having personally distributed Dollies t...

July 5, 2017 Press

Dollies Delivered to Malibu

Palisadian Post Article 6.29.17 » ...

July 3, 2017 BLOG POST

Casa Franciscana de Guaymas Mission

Amber Brown, found Dollies Making A Difference through our website. Amber volunteers for a non-profit called Casa Franciscana Outreach, a nonprofit based in Phoenix, AZ which serves the poor of Guaymas, Mexico.  Among the many services Casa Fran...

July 2, 2017 BLOG POST

Laure in the Congo

Dollie lady Laure Weber travels several times a year as a medical professional with Doctors without Borders.  In June, Laure left for 2 months to work in The Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she is responsible for co-ordinating psycholo...

July 2, 2017 BLOG POST

Books and Teddy Bears for Kids

  Every May, in partnership with Foster Care Counts, The Book Foundation celebrates the women throughout Los Angeles who selflessly serve as Foster mothers to children in need.  For the past three years, Dollies Making A Difference has cont...

July 2, 2017 BLOG POST

From Chicago to the Ivory Coast

I've never met Dollie Ambassador from Chicago, Patricia Mertz (left), and this is not unusual! Patricia's son Michael lives in the windy city and does business with Dollie member Patti Black here in Pacific Palisades, CA. Through the course...

July 1, 2017 BLOG POST

Dollie lady travels to Loja, Ecuador

Long time Dollie lady Darleen traveled to Ecuador to visit friends, and before leaving researched opportunities to serve as a Dollie Ambassador.  Here is her story: The Centro de Educacíon Initial y Albergue Infantile Padre Julio Villarroel ...

July 1, 2017 BLOG POST

OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center

We were contacted by a friend of ours from OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center in Los Angeles.  Three weekends each summer OUR HOUSE hosts Camp Erin-Los Angeles and Camp Erin-Orange County.  The weekend-long camp provides children an opportunity to...

May 10, 2017 BLOG POST

The Joy of serving as a Dollie Ambassador

So often we focus on the joy a child experiences when he or she receives a Dollie or Teddy Bear. But we can never forget the joy a Dollie Ambassador experiences when she makes that special connection with a child, through the simple act of han...

May 10, 2017 BLOG POST

LA Stake Relief Society service day

The LA Stake Relief Society, members of the Los Angeles Mormon congregation, come together several times a year to volunteer their time helping worthy non-profits.  This year Dollies Making A Difference was selected as one of the three non-pr...

May 2, 2017 BLOG POST

Dollies and the President of Gambia

  Santa Monica pediatrician Dr. Bob Hamilton led a team of doctors and volunteers from Lighthouse Medical Mission (LMM) to Gambia in April.  The past few years they were prohibited to travel to the western African countries of Gambia, S...

April 28, 2017 BLOG POST

Cedars Sinai partners with HELPS in Guatemala

Nearly 100 doctors, nurses, and volunteers from Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles partnered with HELPS International on a medical mission trip to Guatemala.  Palisadian Joanie Blanchard participated for the 14th time where she assisted in ove...

April 25, 2017 BLOG POST

Home to Cali, Colombia

After the CBS segment on Dollies Making A Difference aired in Los Angeles, we received many phone calls from people wanting to be Dollie Ambassadors.  One person who called was Karina from Panorama City.  She travels each spring to her home co...

April 24, 2017 BLOG POST

Making a Difference in Nicaragua

Since 2014, Dollies Making A Difference has awarded over 50 financial grants to worthy non-profit organizations who partner with us. Last year we made a grant to NICA "Nicaragua Initiative for Community Advancement" to purchase (10) tablets f...

March 16, 2017 BLOG POST

Christmas with The Unatti Foundation

While Dollies Making A Difference has sent Dollies and Teddy Bears with Unatti Foundation to Nepal many times, volunteer Debra Wollitz wondered if we could provide warm caps for the girls at Christmas. We asked one of our partner organiz...

March 6, 2017 BLOG POST

Dollie Ambassador Laure travels to India

Dollie Ambassador Laure decided on the spur of the moment to travel to India to meet her brother who was there for work.  Practically running out the door we tossed her a few Dollies and Teddy Bears to pack in her luggage, to hand out to anyon...

March 6, 2017 BLOG POST

Homes of Hope India honors young ladies

Sometimes we think our Dollies will only be appreciated by young children.  Homes of Hope India shows us that girls of all ages - indeed young ladies - yearn to hold a soft dollie close to their heart.  "To Give is to Receive".  ...

March 6, 2017 BLOG POST

All Saints Episcopal of Beverly Hills to Honduras 2017

All Saints Episcopal Church of Beverly Hills is on their 17th medical mission trip to Honduras, where doctors, nurses, and volunteers establish (4) clinics to serve those in need.  The team travels through cities as well as deep into the coun...

March 1, 2017 Press

Palisadian Dollie Ambassadors Make Valentines, 2017

Palisadian Dollie Ambassadors Make Valentines February 28, 2017 9:02 am  By Laurel Busby Staff Writer Every February, about 30 local women switch from making homemade dollies and teddy bears to creating Valentines. These charitable folk...

February 24, 2017 Press

Dollie Ambassadors featured in the Palisadian Post

From Pacific Palisades to the World Added by Michael Dijamco on February 23, 2017. Saved under Pali Life By Sarah Shmerling | Managing Editor Since 2010, locals have been traveling the world with Dollies Making A Difference—as far as Nort...

February 17, 2017 Press

Dollies featured in the UCLA Newsroom

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/canine-cupids-deliver-valentine-cheer-to-hospitalized-patients A team of pettable cupids made a special delivery to hospitalized patients at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, o...

February 17, 2017 Press

Dollies featured in the Santa Monica Mirror

http://smmirror.com/2017/02/canine-cupids-deliver-valentines-to-patients-at-ucla-medical-center-santa-monica/  ...

February 17, 2017 Press

Dollies featured in the Santa Monica Daily Press

http://smdp.com/canine-cupids-to-deliver-valentines-to-patients-at-ucla-medical-center/159800 UCLA Hospital Canine Cupids to Deliver Valentine’s to Patients at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. Coco, Ella, Shapzel, Logan, an...

February 15, 2017 BLOG POST

Homes of Hope India breaks ground on #9 orphanage

We've sent over 700 Dollies to children at Homes of Hope India's eight orphanages and schools in central India.  This month we sent Dollies to girls at a brand new home, #9 Dimapur, Nagaland. Each Dollie was wrapped in a crocheted blanket ma...

February 15, 2017 BLOG POST

Valentines Day 2017

For the 4th year in a row, the ladies from Dollies Making A Difference have created hundreds of handmade Valentines for for patients young and old at UCLA Medical Center.  They are delivered by dogs from the UCLA PeopleAnimal Connection! Thank ...

February 15, 2017 BLOG POST

Westside Quilters

We have to give a huge SHOUT OUT to the ladies of the Westside Quilters, who voted to have Dollies Making A Difference as the beneficiary of their winter service project.  These incredibly generous artisans created over 150 cloth Dollie quilts, ...

February 14, 2017 BLOG POST

Williams College travels to Nicaragua 2017

Students at Williams College take the month of January and focus on one specific area of interest.  During what is called Winter Study, they can choose to take one course from the eclectic curriculum, pursue collaborative or independent research, ...

February 14, 2017 BLOG POST

Santa Monica Rotarians visit Mexico

Dollie Ambassador and President of the Santa Monica Rotary, Connie Maguire accompanied a group of Rotarians from District 5280 on a humanitarian service trip to Merida, Mexico. They painted a preschool and planted trees at an elementary school,...

February 14, 2017 BLOG POST

BlinkNow Nepal Christmas visit

BlinkNow is an organization which has built a children's home, school, and women's center in Surkhet, Nepal.  BlinkNow derives its name from the belief of founder Maggie Doyne - a 2015 CNN Hero of the Year - that "In the blink of an eye, we c...

January 27, 2017 Press

Dollies Making A Difference featured on CBSLA!

 On January 26, 2017, Dollies Making A Difference was featured on CBSLA's segment "People Making A Difference." https://youtu.be/Uq2z4369r1Y...

December 23, 2016 BLOG POST

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah

As we enter the Christmas and Chanukah weekend, we at Dollies Making A Difference give thanks to every single person who has supported our efforts to spread joy all over the world, through the simple gesture of handing a handmade Dollie or Ted...

December 12, 2016 BLOG POST

2016 Annual Appeal

In early December we mail out our Annual Appeal, which is our sole fundraiser of the year. Please take a look and feel free to donate to Dollies Making A Difference! ...

December 12, 2016 BLOG POST

Navajo Nation

Mike Talleda (right) and his friend who served our country in Iraq, stopped by to pick up 26 Dollies and Teddy Bears, and many crocheted blankets, scarves, caps, and quilts which we are donating to the Wounded Heroes of America's Christmas Drive....

October 18, 2016 BLOG POST

Medicine for Humanity

We received a wonderful letter from a Dollie Ambassador, who traveled to Uganda with Medicine for Humanity (MFH).  Because it is such a beautifully written description of how our Dollies and Teddy Bears can bring comfort and joy to a child, we w...

August 5, 2016 BLOG POST

JewishCare in Australia

Dollie Ambassador Terri Jackson lives in Sydney, Australia where she works as an in-take counselor at JewishCare. This non-profit organization was conceived in 1935 as a compassionate response to the atrocities in Europe, providing assistance t...

July 18, 2016 BLOG POST

NICA Student Ambassadors travel to Nicaragua

In June, incoming Loyola High School friends William, JP, and Jonas, traveled to Nicaragua to do service work on behalf of the NICA Student Ambassador Program.  This chapter of NICA, a 501©(3) organization, was started by JP and his sister Joh...

July 17, 2016 BLOG POST

Women in Uganda

In 1995, Dr. Leo Lagasse and his wife Anne were on a trip to Africa where they witnessed firsthand, the "plight and suffering of women who lack access to proper health care".  Moved to action, Dr. Lagasse returned to Los Angeles and started...

July 17, 2016 BLOG POST

Helps International goes to Guatemala

We read in our local newspaper about Palisadian, Joanie Blanchard, a retired nurse from Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, who would be making a medical mission trip for the 13th time to Guatemala.  She would be traveling with over 90 other m...

July 17, 2016 BLOG POST

Even to Iraq do we travel…

In May, many Dollie ladies attended an informative luncheon by partner organization International Medical Corps.  The  speaker was Alex Bartolini, a community health manager who is based in Iraq, and travels between Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, and L...

July 17, 2016 BLOG POST

Off to Panama…

Calvary Christian Church of Pacific Palisades has an active high school ministry where each summer, the teens embark on a humanitarian trip to be of service to those in need.  This year they traveled to Panama where they spent a week at an orp...

July 12, 2016 BLOG POST

Dollie Video from Pat Mertz

We just received this short video from Dollie Ambassador Pat Mertz from Chicago. It is a video showing the Dollies we sent with her way back in 2012 when she was making a humanitarian visit to the Ivory Coast where she was involved in the develop...

July 1, 2016 Press

Palisadian-Post features Dollies Making A Difference

We were thrilled to have a full page feature in the Palisadian-Post in June 2016. Check out the full article below. ...

May 30, 2016 BLOG POST

Cartagena, Colombia

  YOU TOO can be a Dollie Ambassador!  When Cindy & Bill Simon went on vacation to Cartagena, Colombia they decided to take a duffle bag of Dollies with them. Friends at the Urban Sqush Colombia program told them about Antonio Santos ele...

May 30, 2016 BLOG POST

Foster Care Counts Mother’s Day Event 2016

Dollies Making A Difference partnered with The Book Foundation at the annual Foster Care Counts Mother's Day Event, where foster mothers are celebrated alongside their families and friends.  We distributed over 60 teddy bears to excited children wh...

May 30, 2016 BLOG POST

Memorial Day 2016

  Dollies Making A Difference is proud and honored to be partners with southern California's Wounded Heroes of America, an organization which works to provide care, guidance, support, and opportunity to our veterans and their families. To all...

April 18, 2016 BLOG POST

Legacy Christian Academy in Uganda

  Sometimes a photo says it all! Legacy Christian Academy is a K-8 school in Valencia, California. Each year volunteers from the school community travel to Uganda to be of service to their "sister school", Legacy Christian Uganda.  This ...

April 11, 2016 BLOG POST

The Brick Factory in Nepal

The Unatti Foundation is a humanitarian organization located in Los Angeles which provides support to families living in Nepal.  This year Unatti volunteers visited an area called The Brick Factory where men, women and children work for less ...

March 28, 2016 BLOG POST

Medical Mission to Honduras 2016

  Dollie Ambassador Pat Lasater embarked on her sixth medical mission trip with All Saints' Episcopal Church Beverly Hills to Honduras. This is the 16th year the church has gone to Honduras to deliver medical care and supplies to families in...

March 15, 2016 BLOG POST

Thanh Hoa Pediatric Hospital, Vietnam

Children's Surgery International (CSI), a medical mission group out of Minneapolis, MN, made their second trip to Thanh Hoa, Vietnam in late February 2016. They spent 10 days screening over 100 children in preparation for ENT and urology surguries...

March 10, 2016 BLOG POST

Hassan Orphanage and K-10 school in India

Dollies Making A Difference has partnered with Home of Hope India for a total of four of their six orphanages/girl's schools.  Volunteers from the non-profit's home base of Wilmington, North Carolina traveled to southern India last November and to...

February 18, 2016 BLOG POST

Cuba

Dollie Ambassador Jill Tabit recently returned from a visit to Havana, Cuba.  We asked Jill to share with us her impressions, as so few of us have had the opportunity to travel to this small country which until very recently was restricted.  H...

February 16, 2016 BLOG POST

More Valentines Delivered

The next stop in delivering our Valentines, was to the patients who are recuperating at The Fireside Health Care Center in Santa Monica. There is no age limit to persons who LOVE to receive a handmade Valentine!    ...

February 16, 2016 BLOG POST

Valentines Delivery

  Once again our Valentines were delivered to patients at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center and UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital by doggies from their People-Animal Connection team. Dollie ladies Denise and Marsha (both in pink) joined in ...

February 13, 2016 Press

Delivering Valentines at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, 2016

 2015 ABC Eyewitness News Article: "Canine Cupids Deliver Valentine's Treats to Mattel Children's Hospital, UCLA Medical Center"   ...

February 11, 2016 BLOG POST

Valentines

Every February, the Dollie ladies clear the table of Dollies and Teddy Bears, and pour out buckets of paper hearts, doilies, stickers, plastic flowers, felt, yarn, colored paper, ribbon and more to create one-of-a-kind handmade Valentines.  Th...

February 11, 2016 BLOG POST

The Yogurt Shoppe

A favorite family gathering spot in Pacific Palisades, "The Yogurt Shoppe", chose Dollies Making A Difference as its February charity group to sponsor.  At the end of the first two weeks of February,  a percentage of sales was added up, and a c...

January 20, 2016 BLOG POST

USC Global Medical Training to Dominican Republic

Dollie Ambassador Ellie Volpicelli is a pre-med student at USC, and took Teddy Bears with her in early January 2016 on a medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic.  We asked her to share her experience... "In Fall of 2014, a peer of min...

November 21, 2015 BLOG POST

All Saints Episcopal of Beverly Hills travels to Honduras 2015

  In March of 2015, volunteers from All Saints Episcopal Church of Beverly Hills made their fifteenth medical mission trip to Honduras. The planned trip the previous year was cancelled due to unrest in Honduras, but this year fortunately th...

November 21, 2015 BLOG POST

Dollie little ladies

We always like to post photos of delighted Dollie recipients from far away countries, as well as close to home.  Today we are posting photos of Dollie little ladies - those special girls who are the daughters, granddaughters, nieces or friends o...

November 5, 2015 BLOG POST

Operation Christmas Child’s Shoebox Project

Samaritan's Purse is an international Christian disaster relief organization which responds to crises throughout the world. Beginning in November, they launch Operation Christmas Child's Shoebox Project.  Dedicated volunteers from school chil...

October 29, 2015 BLOG POST

A little girl in the Ukraine

Dollie lady Laure Weber is a therapist who travels the world with Doctors without Borders.  Here is a photo she took on her recent trip to the Ukraine where she worked with children and families who are suffering in so many ways from the internal co...

October 8, 2015 BLOG POST

Kokrajhar, India

Home of Hope India (HoH) was introduced to Dollies Making A Difference through Bill Simon, co-founder Cindy Simon's husband, at a charitable event.  During the course of their friendly conversation, it turned out that the director of HoH, Paul ...

October 7, 2015 BLOG POST

Halloween Festivities

While the Dollie ladies spend most of our time creating one-of-a-kind Dollies and Teddy Bears, we also take time out on occasion to work on craft projects to benefit local causes.  Today we spent the afternoon making spider webs and painting pumpki...

September 23, 2015 BLOG POST

Hearts with Hope in Lima, Peru

  Hearts with Hope (HWH) traveled on a medical mission trip to Lima, Peru where they visited children in need of pediatric heart surgery. Of course we sent them with Dollies and Teddy Bears - they are one of our favorite Ambassadors!! �...

September 23, 2015 BLOG POST

Children’s Surgery International to Vietnam

Children's Surgery International (CSI), a medical mission team from Minneapolis, MN, visited Thanh Hoa, Vietnam for the first time.  When their team of medical professionals arrived, they were surprised to find three times the number of patient...

September 23, 2015 BLOG POST

MacArthur Park LIVE !!!

Dollie ladies Cindy, Julie, Pat and Anne took a field trip over Labor Day weekend to downtown Los Angeles, to view the "Portraits of Hope" spheres in MacArthur Park Lake. This outdoor installation is only "up" for one month, and we wanted to see wh...

July 26, 2015 BLOG POST

Portraits of Hope Floating Art

  Dollie ladies joined hundreds of other volunteers at a huge warehouse in Playa Vista to participate in an "unprecedented public art and civic initiative" put on by the organization Projects of Hope (POH).  We participated in painting sev...

July 24, 2015 BLOG POST

Love is in the Dollie Air

Dollie ladies Anne & Cindy "clink" champagne glasses as everyone celebrates the engagement of Anne's son Michael to Cindy's niece Betsy!  This is a first time a Dollie to Dollie romance has taken place...will there be more?  Love is in the ...

May 21, 2015 BLOG POST

The Book Foundation loves kids AND mothers!

Foster Care Counts partnered with The Book Foundation in hosting a huge Mother's Day Celebration to honor foster care mothers in Los Angeles. Ruth Stalford, founder and CEO of The Book Foundation, states the mission as being, "To promote liter...

May 21, 2015 BLOG POST

St. Athanasius School in Philadelphia

Two time Dollie Ambassador Keara Jenkins was headed off to Jordan last February with the Wharton School Middle East Northern Africa Club.  When a last minute conflict interrupted her plans, she ended up with 40 Dollies and Teddy Bears in her col...

April 28, 2015 BLOG POST

Sofia Pocasangre honored by Blessed Sacrament

Dollie lady Sofia Pocasangre (center) was named a Blessed Sacrament 2015 Centennial Star Award Recipient.   Sofia was in good company at the Blessed Sacrament Gala, being honored alongside such luminaries such as Father Greg Boyle/Founder of...

April 28, 2015 BLOG POST

Unatti in Nepal

In 1998, Santa Monica CA resident Stephanie Waisler Rubin, was traveling through Kathmandu, Nepal.  She was working on a photographic book about underprivileged street children in third world regions, and she was approached by a group of small boys...

March 31, 2015 BLOG POST

Williams College to Nicaragua

Williams College is an esteemed liberal arts college located in the small town of Williamstown, Massachusetts. Nestled in the "purple valley" in the far western part of the state, it is most certainly a place of higher learning.  Unique to Willi...

March 31, 2015 BLOG POST

Beverly Hills California to Honduras

For the 16th year, volunteers and medical professionals from All Saints Episcopal Church of Beverly Hills flew down to Honduras to participate in an annual medical mission.  Last year (2014) was the first year they did not go, as the visit was ...

March 31, 2015 BLOG POST

Our Satellite Dollie members, part Two

Previously we profiled three Satetille Dollie members - members who contribute their expertise to Dollies Making A Difference (DMAD) but from afar - and now we'd like to tell you about a few more: *** The Stitch by Stitch Club is composed of a ...

March 17, 2015 BLOG POST

Our Satellite Dollie members, Part One

While we have a vibrant and active group of Dollie ladies who "gather around the table" once a week to create our one-of-a-kind Dollies and Teddy Bears, we are also blessed to have members who contribute greatly ... but from afar.  These persons ...

February 25, 2015 BLOG POST

Dollies delight at an Indian wedding

I can't even remember how we first came in touch with Bhakti Foster, a yoga instructor and Ayurveda wellness counselor who lives in Portland, Oregon.  It was through a friend of a friend of a friend... and so forth.  Bhakti was excited about her ...

February 18, 2015 BLOG POST

Los Angeles Rotarians take Dollies to Guatemala

Carol Pfankuccche, director of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA and also president of the Pacific Palisades Rotary, joined a group of Rotarians from Los Angeles on a mission trip to Guatemala.  She brought along her good friend (and Dollie Ambassador!)...

February 15, 2015 Press

Canine Cupids Deliver Valentine’s Treats to Mattel Children’s Hospital, UCLA Medical Center

2015 ABC Eyewitness News Article: "Canine Cupids Deliver Valentine's Treats to Mattel Children's Hospital, UCLA Medical Center" ...

February 14, 2015 BLOG POST

Delivering Valentines to UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital

Dollie ladies Anne and Cindy had a very special experience when we were invited to join the nurses at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital in distributing our one-of-a-kind Valentines to their young patients the day before Valentines Day.  Friend, n...

February 14, 2015 BLOG POST

Creating our Valentines

As February approaches, we Dollie ladies set aside our stitching and stuffing and clear off our work table. Then we bring in all kinds of ribbons, stickers, ric rac, pipe cleaners, flowers, trim, paper hearts, and much more as we come together to cr...

February 13, 2015 BLOG POST

February Birthdays

On the first Wednesday of every month, the Dollie ladies celebrate those members who have a birthday. In February that would be Shanna Scott, Laura Schy, Patti Black and Cindy Simon. Well, since Cindy was celebrating the BIG #60, the Dollies surprise...

February 13, 2015 BLOG POST

Yarn Bombing for Valentine’s Day

  The week before Valentine's Day, Dorothy and Cindy found themselves busy at work on a Dollie order, when they took a break due to a brilliant idea: Why not Yarn Bomb the tree in the little pocket park across the street?  It doesn't take much to ...

January 26, 2015 BLOG POST

SAVE takes Dollies to Myanmar

Our local newspaper, The Palisadian Post, recently did an article about an organization based in nearby Santa Monica called SAVE "Student Action Volunteer Effort" (studentactionvolunteereffort.org).    SAVE was created in 2006 by Pediatrician...

January 26, 2015 BLOG POST

Acapulco, Mexico: Salvation Army Acapulco Children’s home

Dollie ladies Cindy Simon & Denise Melas are active in the Los Angeles Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority alumni organization. At a recent gathering of Kappas from the many colleges in the area, they met Maxine Hupy.  Maxine travels with her family ev...

January 26, 2015 BLOG POST

Vietnam and Cambodia

Dollie lady Joyce Landsverk traveled with family and friends to Vietnam and Cambodia in December and served as a first time Dollie Ambassador!  Taking only 4 dollies, Joyce had to be very mindful of who she handed them out to.  Joyce reports: "On ...

December 22, 2014 BLOG POST

Dollie Annual Holiday Party, Awards Celebration, Cookie Exchange 2014

The ladies of Dollies Making A Difference (DMAD) gathered for our annual Holiday party at Rita Cohen's home, which was decorated to the hilt and full of love and cheer.  Rita hosted us with a delicious buffet dinner which everyone enjoyed.  Each D...

December 17, 2014 BLOG POST

Havana, Cuba

Dollie Ambassadors Chantal and Sara took a recent journey to Cuba, where they immersed themselves in the culture and lifestyle of this small country.  Chantal reported back "Here we gave dollies to kids we met who were playing in the streets with ...

December 11, 2014 BLOG POST

Wounded Heroes of America 2014

For the fourth year in a row, Dollies Making A Difference (DMAD) has welcomed Wounded Heroes of America to the Dollie Table!  This year we presented this worthy organization, composed of veterans who served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, w...

November 28, 2014 BLOG POST

Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas, Texas

Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas, Texas is a program which provides "shelter, safety, counseling and expert advice to battered women and their children." We heard about this organization through Cindy's friendship with Nancy Best, the current Pre...

November 28, 2014 BLOG POST

Dollies support Hearts with Hope in Turkey Trot

For the second year in a row, members of Dollies Making A Difference formed a team to run in the 5K Pacific Palisades Turkey Trot.  The primary beneficiary of this event is one of our favorite non-profits, Hearts with Hope - an organization of medi...

November 21, 2014 BLOG POST

Homes of Hope, Kochi Orphanage India

Homes of Hope (HOH) is an organization founded by Paul Wilkes of Wilmington, North Carolina. Under Paul's leadership, HOH has built orphanages, schools, and medical clinics for forgotten  or abused girls in India.  HOH operates three orphanages ...

November 18, 2014 BLOG POST

Ambassador Chantal travels to Sri Lanka

Dollie Ambassador and world traveler Chantal Prunier traveled in November to Jaffna, the capital of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.  Jaffna suffered greatly during the 2009 civil war, and the refugees and internally displaced persons are now j...

November 4, 2014 BLOG POST

Yarn Bomb !

99% of our time around the Dollie table is spent creating our one-of-a-kind dollies and colorful teddy bears, but VERY occasionally we set the little ladies and gents to the side and take on a new creative venture. For example, the past two years ...

November 3, 2014 BLOG POST

Mending Kids International to China

Mending Kids International (MKI) is a medical mission organization based in Burbank, California which travels all over the world providing health related services to children in need. In October MKI teamed up with pediatric surgeon Dr. Phillip Fr...

November 3, 2014 BLOG POST

Hermosillo, Mexico

In October we sent dollies and colorful teddy bears with the doctors and nurses from Minneapolis, MN Children's International Surgery (CSI) as they traveled to Hermosillo, Mexico.  They have made this trip every year since 2005. On this particu...

October 31, 2014 BLOG POST

Inspiration…”To Give is to Receive”

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October 31, 2014 BLOG POST

Save a Child’s Heart in Kenya

  Two time Dollie Ambassador Pam Douglas traveled to Kenya with "Save a Child's Heart", a medical mission organization which provides pediatric heart surgeries for children all over the world.  We sent her with 20 dollies, each wrapped in a small ...

October 31, 2014 BLOG POST

In honor and memory of Tia

Dollie lady Anne Sacks, and Dollie hubby Bill Simon, participated in the Tia's Hope 5K race in memory of Tia Ravich. Tia was a beautiful, creative, and fun loving friend and Dollie lady who loved to paint hearts on each dollie. ...

October 31, 2014 BLOG POST

Just over the border, Mexico

Dollie lady Rhonda Green put us in touch with her good friend and former neighbor Karen Villara, who travels across the California border to Tijuana, Mexico every other month or so to provide support to children in need.  Karen arranged for our ...

October 31, 2014 BLOG POST

A happy little boy in the Ukraine

Dollie lady Dr. Laure Weber traveled this month to the Ukraine, where she serves in a professional capacity as a psychologist for Doctors without Borders. Dr. Weber  is currently in the village of Svetagorsk, and will make her way to Artemousy whic...

September 7, 2014 BLOG POST

Homes of Hope in Secunderabad, India

Dollie Ambassador Bill Simon is the founder of a non-profit called Parish Catalyst, an organization of persons searching for creative ideas to help Pastors and leadership teams grow vibrant Catholic parishes. Bill was in the midst of a busy c...

August 20, 2014 BLOG POST

Hearts with Hope to Arequipa, Peru

Hearts with Hope, a Los Angeles based team of doctors who perform pediatric heart surgeries, together with nurses and volunteers who assist, has traveled for the 8th time to Arequipa, Peru.  Dollie Ambassador and Hearts with Hope director Andrea ...

August 19, 2014 BLOG POST

“Medasse” from children at The Tuskegee School, Ghana

A few blog posts ago (July 12, 2014 "Greenie Returns to Ghana") we talked about the delightful children at The Tuskegee School in Ghana, and their partnership with the equally delightful children at The Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, Illinois...

August 12, 2014 BLOG POST

From Indiana all the way to Uganda

  Students from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) set off in the summer of 2014 to several countries across Africa, to be of service in a myriad of ways.  Seven of the students went to Masaka, Ugan...

August 8, 2014 BLOG POST

Mephibosheth Ministry in Ghana

Co-founder of Dollies Making A Difference, Dorothy Miyake, recently paid a visit to her optometrist Dr. Randall Yumori of Culver City, CA.  In the midst of her annual eye exam ("Which is better this…. or this?") Dr. Yumori shared with Dorothy that...

August 8, 2014 BLOG POST

The Dillon Henry Foundation extends its heart to The Congo

A dear friend to many Dollie ladies, Harriet Zaretsky, runs a non-profit called The Dillon Henry Foundation, created in memory and honor of her son Dillon, who was a wonderful, energetic and creative young man who loved nothing better than to be ...

July 31, 2014 Press

Palisadian Takes Medical Mission Trip to Mexico, Delivers Donations

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July 19, 2014 BLOG POST

Pinnacle Estate Properties in Malibu

WOW!  Thank you to our dear friend to Dollies, Kimber Westmore of "Crafts Changing Hearts", for spreading the word about Dollies Making A Difference to the folks at Pinnacle Estate Properties, who just opened a brand new real estate office in Malib...

July 19, 2014 BLOG POST

A special tribute to Beverly Delia

A very special member of Dollies Making A Difference passed away this week, and we want to honor her with a blog post.  Beverly Delia will be remembered by everyone as an "enthusiastic" Dollie Lady!  Co-founder Dorothy Miyake knew Beverly from The ...

July 12, 2014 BLOG POST

“Greenie” returns to Ghana

Dollie Ambassador Bev Greenberg "Greenie" traveled again this summer to Ghana, West Africa.  Greenie is an elementary school teacher at The Francis W. Parker School, the only K-12 school in Chicago, IL (Lincoln Park).  In 1998 she was instrum...

July 12, 2014 BLOG POST

Dollies to Mongolia

                    Dollie Ambassador Bill Simon (co-founder Cindy's hubby) traveled far away to the other side of the world, to climb a few mountain peaks in Mongolia. We sent 20 dollies with him, hoping he would find some child...

July 9, 2014 BLOG POST

Ambassador Betty Jo Tilley visits Baja California, Mexico

A friend to many of us Dollie ladies, Palisadian Betty Jo Tilley, participated on a medical mission trip to Baja California, Mexico, and asked to take dollies and teddy bears along.  Of course we said YES! Here are some reflections Betty Jo ...

July 8, 2014 BLOG POST

St. Monica’s Church to Kenya – Year Four !

  For the 12th year in a row, parishioners from St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California have traveled in July on a Ministry Trip to their sister parish Holy Cross Parish in Dandora - Nairobi, Kenya. The past four years the dy...

June 27, 2014 BLOG POST

Boston Strong

          Here's a case of how far reaching Dollies Making A Difference is ... and what angels we have in those who love the good work we do! We noticed in the last month that we were receiving monetary donations from people on the Eas...

June 7, 2014 BLOG POST

Dollies find a home in Lhasa, Tibet

Chantal set off for China in May 2014, with plans to return to several of the remote areas of this huge country that she has traveled to many times before.  Among the places she was especially looking forward to visit was the Dickey Orphanage in...

June 6, 2014 BLOG POST

Dollies find a home in Portugal

Dollie lady Darlene  is a world traveler, and this summer she is traveling all over Europe. Of course, she took dollies with her!  A friend of Darlene's, Linda, is traveling with her and knew of a group of children's homes in Faro, Portugal.  ...

June 6, 2014 BLOG POST

Mother’s Day at Foster Care Counts

 Foster Care Counts is an organization based in Los Angeles, whose members work tirelessly to "improve the lives of youth in foster care and ensures that they thrive." One of the many events Foster Care Counts hosts is a Mother's Day Celebrati...

June 6, 2014 BLOG POST

Mending Kids International greets Milton

Mending Kids International (MKI), a medical outreach organization based in Los Angeles, "provides life-changing surgical care to children worldwide."  Dollies Making A Difference was lucky enough to partner with MKI with their U.S. surgery program....

May 22, 2014 BLOG POST

Dollies Delight in Beijing, China

In May 2014, a group of athletes who had been training for many months, embarked on a trip half way around the world to Beijing, China where they would run The Great Wall Marathon.  Two Dollie ladies Cindy and Kathy went also, as their husbands ...

May 4, 2014 BLOG POST

The Yogurt Shoppe supports Dollies Making A Difference

The Yogurt Shoppe / "A Place to Mix", in Pacific Palisades California, is a strong supporter of local charitable activities.  Twice a month this neighborhood favorite for kids and adults of all ages hosts a "Happy Hour" where 15% of the proceeds...

April 28, 2014 BLOG POST

Operation Smile in Bolivia

In April our good friend and Nurse Norrie from New Jersey, went on her 38th medical mission trip with Operation Smile, this time to the country of Bolivia.  Of course she took along Dollies and Teddy bears from Dollies Making A Difference!  He...

April 19, 2014 BLOG POST

Village of Vision for Haiti Foundation

   Marian Hamlett, from Dallas Texas, introduced Dollies Making A Difference to a wonderful organization Village of Vision for Haiti.  This non-profit "began with the idea that changing the life of one person is the first step toward making the w...

April 19, 2014 BLOG POST

Guinea Bissua and Gambia cut visit short…

      Lighthouse Medical Mission set off from Los Angeles in March 2014 on a medical mission trip to Guinea Bissua and Gambia.  This was their 23rd trip to Africa, and Dr. Bob Hamilton and his team thought they knew what to expect. Two days in...

March 19, 2014 BLOG POST

Antigua, Guatemala

Dollie ladies Cindy and Lulu Simon embarked on a trip to Guatemala, to visit the colonial village of Antigua as well as Lake Atitlan.  What a beautiful country - we want to go back!! While in Antigua we were lucky enough to be Dollie Ambassad...

February 19, 2014 BLOG POST

Doggies are Dollie Ambassadors

One day a year, the Dollie ladies break away from creating dollies and teddy bears and turn our attention to creating handmade Valentines. We believe EVERYONE deserves a beautiful Valentine on Valentines Day!  This year we made hearts for adul...

February 14, 2014 BLOG POST

Autism in Kenya

Paula Jones is a teacher who travels all over the world teaching children in far away countries. Before embarking on this adventure, Paula taught an inclusion class for special needs students at Canyon Charter School in Santa Monica, California. Sev...

December 21, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies in Cuba

Former Ambassador to Uruguay Frank Baxter and his wife Dollie Ambasador Kathy Baxter made a trip to Cuba with associates from the Institute of Americas, an "independent, inter-American organization that promotes cooperation between the public and pri...

December 17, 2013 BLOG POST

2013 Dollie Holiday party…awards, cookies, prizes!!

Our third annual Dollies Making A Difference Holiday Party was a huge success! An abundance of thanks go to hostess extraordinaire Colleen Morrissey whose warm hospitality and beautifully decorated home set the stage for a festive event. Outdoor ...

December 9, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies Making A Difference 2013 Annual Appeal

Dollies Making A Difference decided to forgo a big fundraiser and silent auction afternoon event as we have done in the past two years.  Instead we launched our first ever Annual Appeal in December 2013.  We mailed out a descriptive brochure to...

November 28, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies run/walk the Turkey Trot 2013

This year Pacific Palisades hosted its first ever community wide Turkey Trot. Proceeds benefitted our beloved Hearts with Hope recipient organization, so the Dollie ladies signed up in mass and got their friends to do so as well!  This 5K race s...

November 20, 2013 BLOG POST

Wounded Heroes of America pay Dollies a visit

  Today Mike Talleda, founder and director of Wounded Heroes of America, paid a visit to Dollies Making A Difference.  Wounded Heroes operates out of Hawthorne, CA and is a support network for veterans who have served in a war.  Every D...

November 8, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollie lady Sara visits Nicaragua

Dollie maker Sara Kutler embarked on a humanitarian visit to Nicaragua, to see her niece Lauren and her two friends Hannah and Courtney who are working in the Peace Corps.  Of course we sent her with a big bag of dollies !!! Here is Sara's story....

October 31, 2013 BLOG POST

Halloween Hats 2013

Sometimes we dollie ladies take a (rare) break from our stitching and stuffing and sewing, to celebrate our favorite holidays, and today we celebrated Halloween!  As is our tradition, we have a Halloween Hat Day…and this year Cindy, having recentl...

October 21, 2013 BLOG POST

Yamagata, Japan…Dollies and Colorful Teddys arrive!

Several blog-posts ago we showed photos of the adorable long limbed dollies which we made for the Santa Monica, CA based disaster relief organization International Medical Corps (IMC) to take to children in Yamagata City, Japan.  In order to get t...

October 12, 2013 BLOG POST

Cameroon, Africa

Darleen Guien approached Dollie co-founder Dorothy Miyake during their glass blowing class at Santa Monica College.  Darleen and her brother Paul were planning a reunion trip to Cameroon, Africa and were interested in taking dollies with them.  Ov...

October 11, 2013 BLOG POST

Hermosillo, Mexico

Children's Surgery International, is a Minnesota-based, non-profit volunteer organization whose focus is to serve the underprivileged of the world by providing specialized medical and surgical services to children in need. They just returned from a ...

October 4, 2013 BLOG POST

Breaking News!

On September 24, 2013 Dollies Making A Difference received notice from the IRS that our application for  501(c)(3) non-profit status has been granted!  This means that all financial contributions made to us are tax-deductible.  We are now offici...

September 25, 2013 BLOG POST

Japan

We have been working on a special "order" the past few weeks.  Elaine Benditson, the Sr. Development Officer at International Medical Corps (IMC) phoned us. "Could we create some special dollies for children in Japan?" IMC, a worldwide disaster re...

August 23, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollie ladies supporting others…

Last week our good friend Mary Flaherty stopped by to show the dollie ladies her latest project.  Mary recently spoke at a breast cancer symposium at Notre Dame, and during that visit she met the director of a cancer support group called River Bend ...

August 20, 2013 BLOG POST

Potter’s House in Guatemala City

Cindy was at a 60th birthday party in NYC where she ran into a friend from many years ago when she lived in New Jersey.  "We started talking and one thing led to another and of course the topic of "Dollies Making A Difference" came up!  Next thing ...

August 5, 2013 BLOG POST

Kabgayi, Rwanda

In early August, dollie husband Bill Simon attended a conference in Orange County, CA where he met a group of Catholic priests from Rwanda.  During the course of their conversation he discovered that they run a large parish in the city of Kabgayi wi...

August 1, 2013 Press

Israeli-Based Medical Mission Offers Hope in Conflict Zones

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July 19, 2013 BLOG POST

St. Monica’s Church in Dandora, Kenya

This is the third year Dollies Making A Difference has sent dollies and colorful teddy bears with St. Monica's Church in Santa Monica, California to their sister parish Holy Cross Parish in Dandora, Kenya. Here is a description of Dandora, Kenya, tak...

July 17, 2013 BLOG POST

Buyamba Uganda “an outreach of God Cares Schools”

In October 2012 our local newspaper, The Palisadian Post, ran an article about a remarkable young man, Jimmy Carter, who together with a few friends from Pepperdine University, organized a fundraiser with the goal of raising enough money to purchase ...

July 17, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies travel to the heartland of Peoria, Illinois

Thanks to Dollie lady Marsha Beaver, we connected with Deborah Eads, the Child Life Specialist at Children's Hospital of Illinois, in Peoria Illinois.  We are always on the lookout for ways to serve children here in the United States, as well as tho...

July 16, 2013 BLOG POST

from Chicago, Illinois….to Tuskegee, Ghana

Dollie maker Deidre sent an email to a close friend of hers Toni Hargis who lives in Chicago, Illinois and is president of Caring Kid Connections.  Deidre asked if Toni knew of any children who might need some extra TLC in the form of our dollies an...

June 23, 2013 BLOG POST

Aid Still Required…in Haiti

Dollie Ambassador Andrea Herz Payne, is the founder and chairman of a humanitarian organization called Aid Still Required (aidstillrequired.org). This effort came out of the realization that while disaster relief organizations provide much needed imm...

May 29, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies and Colorful Teddys to Israel

Many thanks go to Carol Pfannkuche, director of the Pacific Palisades CA YMCA, for suggesting that Dollies Making A Difference contact her good friend  Pam Douglas who would be visiting Israel.  We contacted Pam and she was excited about taking our...

May 24, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies travel to Moore, Oklahoma

The minute we west-coasters woke up to the news of the devastation and destruction the huge tornadoes caused to the communities of Moore and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, we dollie ladies got to work.  Thanks to member Rhonda Green, who through her conta...

May 24, 2013 BLOG POST

Stacy and Alexa travel with colorful teddy bears to Belize

Evening dollie maker Stacy Robinson and her delightful daughter Alexa recently traveled on vacation to Belize and Guatemala. While in the amazingly beautiful country of Belize, they made a humanitarian visit to Holy Cross Anglican Primary School, l...

May 6, 2013 BLOG POST

BlinkNow welcomes Dollies in Nepal

Maggie Doyne is a remarkable young lady, and Dollies Making A Difference is privileged to partner with her.When 19 year old Maggie graduated from her high school in Morristown, New Jersey, instead of going on to college she decided she would take a g...

April 24, 2013 BLOG POST

Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana

Dollie maker from afar, Katie Head, has handed out our dollies and colorful teddy bears for the past (3) years to young patients from Riley Children's Hospital Indianapolis during the annual "Dance-a-Thon", a  fundraising event which is organized an...

April 24, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies go to Honduras with Operation Smile’s New Jersey chapter

One never knows how we will connect with a recipient group who is interested in taking our dollies and colorful teddy bears with them on a trip!  This time Dollie member Kathy Baxter received a Christmas card from a friend she knew "way back when" i...

April 21, 2013 Press

Crafts Changing Hearts Article: “Dollies and Teddy Bears = Smiles”

Dollies Making A Difference was featured on the Crafts Changing Hearts website! Click on the image to read more. ...

April 9, 2013 BLOG POST

The Gambia, and Guinea Bissau

In March 2013, Santa Monica California pediatrician and humanitarian Dr. Bob Hamilton, together with other medical professionals from Lighthouse Medical Mission,  took our dollies and colorful teddy bears to Western Africa, where they provided a my...

March 18, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies travel to UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital

Dollies Making A Difference has long maintained a close partnership with UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, in Los Angeles California,  where we have donated dollies and colorful teddy bears to young patients in need of something special to brighten t...

March 8, 2013 BLOG POST

From Beverly Hills to Honduras…

Dollie friend and nurse Pat Lasater embarked on a medical mission trip to southern Honduras with church volunteers and doctors/nurses from her parish, All Saint's Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, California.  They left on March 1, 2013 for a 7 ...

March 1, 2013 BLOG POST

Dollies Ladies have a few visitors…

Our organization of women, Dollies Making A Difference (DMAD), is beginning to be noticed by persons from other worthwhile organizations who seek to make presentations to us and ask for our support to further their own good work. A group of informed ...

February 22, 2013 BLOG POST

Valentines Enjoyed

The young patients at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital all received one of our handmade hearts on their breakfast tray on Valentine's morning.  (see previous blog entry with photos of how much fun we Dollie ladies had in making them!) Laura Pescator...

February 11, 2013 BLOG POST

Williams College students go to Nicaragua

Twelve (12) students enrolled in Williams College January 2013 Winter Study program went to Nicaragua to do humanitarian work.  In cooperation with optometrists from the New England College of Optometry, the college students dispensed reading and di...

February 9, 2013 BLOG POST

Valentines…made just for you!

Dollie ladies gathered around the table this week in mass to create beautiful one-of-a-kind valentines.  For what is sure to be an annual event, we poured all our creative energy into making over 150 valentines for children at UCLA Mattel Children'...

January 23, 2013 BLOG POST

Dogs and Dollies!!

In November we sent some dollies and colorful teddy bears with our neighbor Joan Sather, who is a volunteer for  "Beach Animals Reading with Kids" otherwise known as BARK.  This wonderful all-volunteer program encourages children to increase their ...

January 22, 2013 BLOG POST

Children’s Surgery International in Bangladesh 2013

Children's Surgery International is "a Minnesota based non-profit volunteer organization whose focus is to serve the underprivileged of the world by providing specialized medical and surgical services in a safe, compassionate and culturally sensitive...

January 17, 2013 BLOG POST

Bringing Hope To The Family Orphanage – Uganda

These photos just arrived from Palisadian Laine Waggenseller, a generous humanitarian, who traveled to Kyongera, Western Uganda on a mission trip to Bringing Hope to the Family Orphanage. Bringing Hope to the Family is a community based organization...

January 16, 2013 BLOG POST

Williams College Winter Study Program in Portland, Maine

Students at Williams College, in Williamstown Massachusetts, are required each year to participate in the one month Winter Study Program each January.  Each student's Winter Study Program is designed by the student. For example one program could be ...

January 4, 2013 BLOG POST

Children in China welcome our dollies and teddys

We just received this wonderful photo from Evans Lam and Susanna Lam, the founders of Morning Light Foundation.  This group operates out of San Marino, California, and makes multi-year trips to rural areas of China where they build and maintain elem...

December 20, 2012 BLOG POST

Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut

Off in the mail today go 40 dollies, each wrapped in her own blanket, and 24 colorful teddy bears, to children at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut.  We were given a contact person to ship them to at United Way of Western Connecticut (ww...

December 15, 2012 BLOG POST

2012 Dollie Awards

DOLLIE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2012: Each year we award The Dollie Volunteer of the Year Award.  This award, voted on by her peers, is in recognition of the Dollie Volunteer who we all feel most demonstrates through her actions day in and day out, th...

December 15, 2012 BLOG POST

2012 Dollie Holiday Party – Cookie Exchange

The Dollies celebrated the closing of a terrific 2012 by having a Holiday Dinner Party, complete with a Cookie Exchange Contest and an Awards Presentation.  Thanks go to Vicki for co-ordinating the food from Border Grill...yummy and spicy Guacamole...

December 13, 2012 BLOG POST

Hearts with Hope visit Lima, Peru

Hearts with Hope, an organization started by Dr Dan Levi and a team of UCLA pediatric cardiologists, traveled in November 2012 and sent back these heart felt photos.   ...

December 1, 2012 BLOG POST

Wounded Heroes of America, La Habra California

Dollie makers Cindy, Dorothy, Vicki, and Judy hopped into a car on a rainy afternoon to drive to El Cholo Restaurant in La Habra, California ( 90 minutes south east of LA).  We weren't just going for a delicious dinner, (which we certainly DID enjo...

November 19, 2012 BLOG POST

Dollie maker takes dollies & teddys to hometown in Guatemala

In early November, dollie maker Aura "Christina" Hidalgo took 5 dollies and 5 colorful teddy bears to Guatemala while visiting her family.  When she was discussing with her sister Imelda of possible places in Guatemala City to distribute them, Imeld...

November 16, 2012 BLOG POST

A story of love & compassion reaches across the world…

I want to share an amazing story of love and compassion which I just learned about from lawyer and humanitarian Laine Wagenseller.  As a background, in June of 2012, Dollies Making A Difference sent 24 dollies and 15 colorful teddy bears with Lain...

October 27, 2012 BLOG POST

Outreach International travels to Sri Lanka

Students the world over who choose to take a gap year between high school and college often spend their time traveling far from their home, learning and experiencing different cultures, customs, and languages.  Often they work with persons living in...

October 27, 2012 BLOG POST

Dollie maker Deirdre travels to Bhutan & Burma

Dollie maker and world explorer Deirdre headed off in October to the far away countries of Bhutan & Burma.  Of course she took a duffle bag full of dollies and colorful teddy bears! We are anxiously awaiting her arrival home, to hear all about h...

October 27, 2012 BLOG POST

Tsumeb, Namibia

Dollie maker Deirdre Roney introduced us to her friend Suzanne Del Rio who would soon be embarking on a humanitarian trip to her home country of South Africa.  One of the countries she and her fellow travelers would be visiting is Namibia, and withi...

September 13, 2012 BLOG POST

Outreach International

Outreach International (www.outreachinternational.co.uk) is a humanitarian organization whose mission is to match young adults with an interest in traveling and community service, with meaningful volunteer  service projects all over the world. These...

September 5, 2012 BLOG POST

Dollies arrive in the Cote d’Ivoire

You never know when another dollie recipient organization will pop into our orbit! Last year dollie maker Patti Black (owner of BlackInk - a fabulous stationary & paper goods shop in Pacific Palisades, CA) put us in touch with Michael Mertz, of ...

September 2, 2012 BLOG POST

Hearts with Hope in San Salvador

Hearts with Hope, a Los Angeles humanitarian group of pediatric cardiologists from UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, dentists, nurses, and volunteers made a trip in July 2012 to San Salvador where they performed life saving surgeries on children with ...

August 24, 2012 BLOG POST

Dollies welcomed by Happy Life Children’s Home in Nairobi, Kenya

Dollie Ambassador Jean Rust, close friend of dollie makers Nita Harper & Chris Geller, took 30 dollies & colorful teddy bears on a recent  humanitarian trip to Naiobi, Kenya where she volunteered at Happy Life Children's Home. Here is an e...

August 18, 2012 BLOG POST

Dollies travel to the tiny country of Belize in Central America

This just in from Dollie Ambassador Karen Enzer who traveled to Belize on a humanitarian trip. "Students, faculty, and parents from St. Matthew's Church and Parish School presented 25 dollies to the  thrilled director (see below) of Holy Cross Angli...

August 18, 2012 BLOG POST

Tara & Alexa travel to Kenya with “Free the Children”

Dollie Ambassador Tara Robinson just sent in this update of a recent humanitarian visit to Kenya that she took with her sister Alexa. "We traveled through Kenya as a part of an amazing organization called "Free the Children". "Free the Children" ha...

August 15, 2012 BLOG POST

To Uganda…

Dollie Ambassador Laure Weber, good friend of dollie maker Anne Sacks, just returned from a heart felt trip to Uganda, where she did humanitarian work with an organization called NOT FOR SALE.  This group "empowers marginalized communities to seek t...

August 15, 2012 BLOG POST

Dollies travel to Venezuela with Rotaplast, Inc.

These photos just arrived from Dollie Ambassador Sharron Newton, a good friend of dollie maker Vicki Miceli.  Sharron traveled to Cumana, Venezuela with Rotaplast, Inc., a humanitarian organization founded in 1992 as a world community service projec...

August 12, 2012 BLOG POST

St. Monica’s Church makes a humanitarian trip to Kenya

Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson, Dollie Ambassador Jill Tabit,  and 20 parishioners from St. Monica's Church in Santa Monica, CA traveled to Dandora, Kenya - a large impoverished area on the outskirts of Naiorbi - to visit schools and orphanages.  Here ar...

August 11, 2012 BLOG POST

Mia & Chantal visit Asia

Dollie Makers Mia Grindon and her mother Chantal Prunier traveled this summer on a humanitarian trip to several countries in Asia, including North Korea and China. Mia reported to us that they took dollies and colorful teddy bears and distributed th...

July 27, 2012 BLOG POST

Bill’s Burgers & Bowl Painting

We had a Dollie get together last week to enjoy "Bill's Burgers" and then work on painting bowls for a recipient organization Many Mansions, a transitional housing program in Thousand Oaks, CA.  Many Mansions has a fundraiser each year where they as...

July 23, 2012 BLOG POST

Dollies in Scotland

Dollie Ambassador Katie Pfannkuche, recently returned from a trip to Scotland.  She and other members of the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church Youth Group traveled there on a  humanitarian trip. While in Dunkeld, Scotland, they handed over d...

July 12, 2012 BLOG POST

Dollie ladies on 4th of July 2012 in the Palisades

On 4th of July, our morning started out with everyone in our neighborhood coming by to have coffee and donuts as we cheered on the runners from the 5K and 10K race by.  We posed for an annual group photo! That afternoon Dollies Making A Difference ...

May 23, 2012 BLOG POST

UCLA Medical Center teams up with Operation Smile – dollies to Kathmandu, Nepal

Dr Judith Brill from UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles, traveled with other medical professionals affiliated with Operation Smile to Kathmandu, Nepal...taking our dollies & teddys with them.  Dr Brill sent these thoughts: "The exp...

May 8, 2012 BLOG POST

Off to Haiti…

Yesterday dollie maker Kristen emailed me.  She reported that after her delightful daughter Katherine made her school-wide presentation of the dollies she and her friends had created at Seven Arrows School, a mom approached her  from the audience a...

May 5, 2012 BLOG POST

Sierra Leone & Gambia

Dr Bob Hamilton, of Lighthouse Medical Missions, took our dollies with him to Gambia & Sierra Leone in March.  He just sent us these photos. ...

May 2, 2012 BLOG POST

Young & old…everyone loves the dollies!

Adorable Katherine, daughter of dollie maker Kirsten Kihiczak, loves arts & crafts, crocheting, and knitting.  When she overheard her mom talking about Dollies Making A Difference, she wanted to join in!  She and her girlfriends at Seven Arrows...

April 26, 2012 BLOG POST

Mir Pace

Mir Pace is an organization based out of Boston, where teenagers volunteer in an intensive, immersion experience to learn about another culture.  A group of teens recently returned from Tamahu, Guatemala, where they worked with the village people in...

April 18, 2012 BLOG POST

On our way to Panama…

Thanks to Jojo Cohen, a Dollie Ambassador, 15 dollies and 15 colorful teddys, each wrapped in their own crocheted blankets, are on their way to Panama with a NYC chapter of Operation Smile.  ...

April 13, 2012 BLOG POST

USC Trojan Football Team partners with Dollies Making A Difference

An article appeared in the LA Times last week about the USC football team, but this time it wasn't about an upcoming game.  The story was about Matt Barkley (QB) and 15+ other football players from USC who are planning a humanitarian visit in May 20...

April 3, 2012 BLOG POST

Welcome!

Welcome to Dollies Making A Difference.  We are an organization of women who meet weekly to sew cloth dollies with love and compassion for children all over the world, in need of something special, made just for them.  As of April 2012, we have dis...

April 1, 2012 BLOG POST

Mir Pace

Mir Pace, a teen volunteer group from Boston, took our dollies on a humanitarian trip to Tamahu, Guatemala. Dollie Ambassador Annette Quinn, a nurse from Dana Farber Cancer Institute who accompanied the teens emailed us this message, "Mir Pace has b...

February 1, 2012 BLOG POST

Nashville, Tennessee

Dollie maker Katie Head, from Bloomington Indiana, has taken dollies with her church group on several mission trips across the United States.  The photo below was taken in Nashville, Tennessee where Katie and her friends from "Students Living a Miss...

October 1, 2011 BLOG POST

Quito, Ecuador

Generations Humanitarian, an mission group who travels the world aiding those in need, took dollies to children in Quito, Ecuador ...

July 1, 2011 BLOG POST

Operation Homefront

On 4th of July we made special dollies dressed in Red, White & Blue clothes which we donated to Operation Homefront Southern California, an organization which provides all kinds of  support to children whose parents serve overseas in the Armed F...

April 24, 2011 BLOG POST

North Korea

Dollie maker Chantal Prunier took dollies on a recent trip to schoolchildren in North Korea. She brought back to us the story that as she handed out the dollies, the children seemed totally unfamiliar with what they were supposed to do with such a t...

March 1, 2011 BLOG POST

The Mattel Children’s Hospital

Dr. David Feinberg, CEO of UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles, regularly distributes dollies to children at The Mattel Children's Hospital. Pictured below with Dr Feinberg is Dollie Ambassador Willie Simon ...

March 1, 2011 BLOG POST

Sierra Mountaineering International

Mountain climbing guide Kurt Wedburg, founder of Sierra Mountaineering International, together with fellow guide April Mayhew, have taken dollies three times to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. ...

August 5, 2010 Press

Palisadians Make Dollies for Haiti

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