Yvonne Wilson, a volunteer with VITAS Innovative Hospice Care in Milwaukee, sews a Memory Bear at her Wauwatosa home. Stuffed bears, made out of clothing from a deceased relative, are given to spouses, children and other relatives. More volunteers are needed to sew the Memory Bears. (Catholic Herald photos by Sam Lucero) In a stitch for volunteers to sew VITAS Innovative Hospice Care is in search of more volunteers to help with the Memory Bear program. For information contact Linn Woodard, volunteer services manager, at (414) 454-3168. Basic sewing skills are required.

Volunteers for the Memory Bear program at VITAS Innovative Hospice Care are sewing more than cute, stuffed animals. These sewers are sowing seeds of comfort.

Memory Bears, which are created out of a piece of clothing from a deceased patient, are sewn by volunteers and then presented to family members. The bears often serve as a source of comfort and help surviving relatives through the grieving process, said Linn Woodard, volunteer services manager at VITAS.

“After the patient dies, the family will give us a piece of clothing or something that meant (a lot) to them,” Woodard said. “The volunteers use it to make the teddy bear. There’s grief and there’s sadness … but this is just something you can hug.”

Since Woodard began the program with VITAS last August, volunteers have completed more than 63 of the 14-inch-tall bears. And, she added, more than 55 are in the process of being created. Families are allowed to request up to three bears.

Volunteer Jean Manz has been making the bears since the program began. She works with the American Sewing Guild and says about 10 percent of its members have made the cuddly creatures.

“It’s an interesting experience,” said Manz, who personally has made about eight bears. “It kind of stretches our talents at times.”

The volunteers begin with a pattern and the piece of clothing or other item. They try to include special features from the clothing on the bear. For example, if a shirt has unique buttons, the volunteer may use them as eyes on the bear. The entire process, from planning to sewing, takes anywhere from three to eight hours, Manz said. However, the volunteer will generally have up to three months to complete a bear.

Woodard will then deliver the bear or the recipient will pick it up from her.

The most unique bear Manz ever created was made from a T-shirt that belonged to a sports fan.

“I received a T-shirt that was from a young man and it was just covered with sports quotes,” she explained. “They had asked that as much of the writing as possible be preserved.”

She used the quotes on the arms and legs of the bear and was even able to use the label from inside the shirt. The bear was for Debb Walker, the mother of the deceased man, Andy Flick.

“I didn’t want it to get all dirty and dusty,” Walker said. “I felt like it needed a special home.” So she put the bear inside a curio cabinet with other items that remind her of her son.

“I’m just glad that I have it,” Walker added. “Otherwise it would just be his shirts in a bag.”

Ruth Ann Flick, Walker’s sister, also received a Memory Bear made by Manz. Hers was created out of her nephew’s loud, blue Hawaiian shirt.

“At first, it was kind of sad, but now I look at it and it brings me comfort,” Flick said. “Because I chose his wild shirt, it makes me smile.

“It brought me peace,” she added. “I have a piece of him. He’s right here.”

As a Catholic, Manz was taught to do things for others, which has led her to volunteer work, she said.

“When I was a kid, we never gave up things for Lent,” she explained. “(Instead), we did extra things.”

In addition to personally making the bears for VITAS, Manz said she would be willing to teach sewers at churches or other organizations how to make the bears if they want to start similar programs. She can be reached at (262) 679-1415.

She said she has enjoyed working with the program and the volunteers have reaped benefits of sowing a few seeds.

“Every bear we make gives back something to us,” Manz said. “One of our sewers has experienced three family deaths in the last couple of years. She finds comfort in making the bears. It helps her heal.”