Sep. 26—$900 donation provides Buddies to children in crisis
Sometimes the simplest gifts carry the greatest meaning. A soft cloth Buddy, sewn with a heart and the words “You are always loved,” will now reach children in crisis in Lawrence County, thanks to a $900 donation from the Rotary Club of Ironton.
The contribution completed the You Are Loved Buddies initiative, providing 40 handmade Buddies that were delivered Monday, Sept. 8, to Lawrence County Child Protective Services.
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The Buddies will be given to children who are removed from school without notice, offering reassurance and calm during one of the most difficult moments in their young lives.
The Buddies were created by local teacher Melissa Iery, who first designed them for students struggling with sadness, worry, or anger.
Each Buddy is about 10 inches tall, soft and weighted to simulate a hug, with ears carefully spaced so a child can rest their chin on its head while holding it. Iery’s own first grade class has even helped stuff Buddies, eager to be part of helping other children. Families sometimes donate clothing from loved ones so a Buddy carries a personal connection, and athletes have received Buddies stitched with their team numbers.
Iery’s compassion is rooted in her own experience.
At 37 weeks pregnant, she lost her daughter, Adalyn, and began creating Buddies for grieving mothers, saying no one should ever leave the hospital with empty arms.
She has also faced months in the hospital herself after seven surgeries, where she found comfort in the same creation she had made for others.
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To date, she has made more than 1,000 Buddies in the past four years, reaching children in 20 states, chaplains at local hospitals, and families in need of comfort.
“Each Buddy has to be filled with hugs and prayed over,” Iery said. “That’s how I make sure every single one is full of love before it’s given to a child.”
“Our club is proud to partner with Melissa to extend this project into our community,” said Rotary president Teresa Smith. “These Buddies will give children something to hold onto at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.”
Community members can support the project in several ways. You Are Loved Buddies are available for purchase at Kouns Korner in Ironton, with proceeds supporting future donations, or by giving directly at paypal.me/MelissaIery.
Iery also hopes to expand the effort to equip local police officers and firefighters with Buddies to comfort children in crisis.
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