Mike Wolanin | The Republic Volunteers put stuffing in stuffed animals for the Teddy Bear Love Fund on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the United Way of Bartholomew County building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.
Columbus’ Doug Otto Center conference room was a zoo Monday.
And Bonnie Shehan stood amid it all as the happiest zookeeper you ever saw, tickled to see so many smiling faces.
“I think that people are so willing to do this because it’s for kids,” she said.
She referred to nearly 60 volunteers stuffing fiberfill into small, plush critters — multi-colored bears, goats, elephants, mastodons, pandas, puppies, you name it — for young patients at Columbus Regional Hospital. The effort was part of the nonprofit Teddy Bear Love Fund that Shehan launched in August. And the project also was part of the United Way of Bartholomew County’s Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of service — one in which approximately 100 volunteers completed a range of assignments.
The stuffing work included community leaders such as Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon and Eric Frey, Columbus’ executive director of administration.
United Way covered the $1,300 cost of the animals and the stuffing. The nonprofit’s broad outreach touches the lives of about one-third of the county’s population, from babies to the oldest seniors with its agencies’ programs ranging from physical fitness to mental health to job training.
Magen Pillar, United Way’s director of communications and marketing, was as happy as Shehan — especially on a day in which temperatures dropped into single digits and many of those off work for the King holiday could have stayed home.
“It’s incredible to see the amount of people who came out on this day,” Pillar said, pointing out that the total number of volunteers was the highest in recent history. “They made a huge impact on the community and did critical work that will help people in Bartholomew County.”
Shehan’s first group stuffing party was last month at her church, The Sanctuary in Columbus. About 100 people assisted that day when everything seemed flush with plush. On Monday, family members did their stuffing together, seated at tables. Most quietly chatted as they worked.
“We’ve got kids and mothers and fathers and grandfathers,” Shehan said.
Her grandson, 13-year-old Roger Douglass of Seymour, worked alongside grandfather Jim Shehan. Though these critters will go to the local hospital, the organization also donates the animals to four other area hospitals: Schneck Memorial Center in Seymour, Ascension St. Vincent Jennings in North Vernon, Indianapolis’ Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, and Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent.
Shehan, who lives in Shelby County, aims to lead volunteers this calendar year in stuffing 10,000 plush creatures. She’s unconcerned about finding enough volunteers. Her sister, Marilyn Kelley, will tell you that.
“She calls in the whole family to help,” Kelley said.
Without any arm twisting?
“Oh, she’s not exactly gentle,” Kelley said, breaking into laughter.
Shehan mail-orders the critters from a place called Teddy Mountain, which seems appropriate for a woman hoping to bring a mountain of solace and joy to youngsters. She is slightly amazed that the original plush animal movement in the family began years ago, after her daughter was seriously injured in a car crash. Years later, her recovered daughter did a similar outreach to hospitalized youngsters with a group that the daughter named Stuffed With Love.
Now, Shehan is looking to expand her organization’s board.
“I just need,” she said, “a few more people to help me.”
To help her help the children.
How to help
Teddy Bear Love Fund founder Bonnie Shehan is accepting new plush critters for hospitalized children besides the ones she asks volunteers to stuff. Donors can drop off stuffed animals at the two Columbus locations of ATI Physical Therapy at 1675 N. National Road or 2467 W. Jonathan Moore Pike.
Shehan currently is seeking more people to serve on her board for the Teddy Bear Love Fund. She can be reached at 812-603-5412.
