Stitches Collection is designed and created by Western Sydney
Artist DanielleRG, who has had over 17 years experience in Arts and Community Development. Danielle runs a community Mental Health Art program in Western
Sydney, engaging the most vulnerable members of our community. Using art as a
tool to engage, Stitches Dolls are hand made through this program, made by those with Mental Health challenges for those with Mental Health challenges.
Community Issue-
Youth Mental Health challenges are on the rise. COVID-19 added to pre-existing issues that youth were facing. Since the pandemic began, rates of psychological distress among young people have increased, and the pandemic has most heavily affected those who were already vulnerable.
One in seven young people aged 4-17 years experience a Mental Health condition in any given year.
How do Stitches Dolls help?
- Dolls are Trade marked- Apparatus of Therapy- used in therapy.
Stitches dolls are designed to open up dialogue with young people through the Stitches Individual stories. Children can be more open to telling their story through a Stitches Character.
- Dolls are used in our Stitches Wellbeing Resilience program -
Using the dolls to engage young people and create lesson plans tailored around challenging issues in each school and that children face.
- Comfort children in crisis-
Dolls are donated to partnering children's charities and NSW Police, to be used as a tool to engage and offer comfort to children in crisis.
Testimony- Maverick's Story
'Maverick has severe Autism, Mental Health, ADHD, OCD, ODD, short term memory, sensory processing, mania, social and other learning disabilities. Our biggest problem is his sleeping. He NEVER sleeps a whole night and he is now 12.
Within 5 days of Frankie Frankenstein being a part of our family, Maverick finally slept through the night. When seeing his paediatrician of 8 years, Maverick seemed more at peace and this could only be put down to Frankie. Maverick and Frankie have become good friends, he does not do well in social settings but with Frankie he is building up these skills.'
By Rachelle and Nathan
What we do-
- Stitches Donate Dolls to
participating children's charities, to serve as a tool to engage and support
children in crisis. Kids West Foundation, Better Foundation and NSW Police have
all received donated dolls from Stitches Collection as well as the Emergency
Mental Health Unit at Westmead Hospital. One child there stating... ‘these dolls are just like
me'. Due to a generous donation from Blacktown Workers Club we have been able to donate over 500 dolls to kids in need.
- Stitches School Wellbeing Resilience program is currently being implemented through several Western Sydney primary schools. This program offers a unique, engaging and inspiring way to tackle life challenges. This includes teaching mindfulness and response tools, along with meeting the Stitches characters and their stories.
- Partnering with Fun Day Out to deliver engaging Vocational
Programs and Corporate Team Building Workshops. Companies with a community
conscience make dolls to donate to partnering children's charities.
- Stitches supports and acknowledges our Aboriginal community and
the Darug land on which we work and call home. We started out developing
Stitches Indigenous Dolls, but this naturally grew into much more. Working
with the Elders, we are developing Indigenous story books and have also printed
their artworks into table runners. All proceeds of these projects go towards
supporting our Wolkara Elders community engagement projects.
- Stitches Children's Books - We are excited to announce that our dolls’ individual
stories are in the process of being made into children's books. Book 1...
Embrace Your Differences, is available now. These books will support our School
Wellbeing Resilience program and will aid teachers and parents alike to
open up dialogue with young people in a safe environment. Funding from this campaign will support the development of six further books in the series. Book 2- Never Give Up, Book 3- Be a Buddy Not A Bully, Book 4- Be Kind To Others, Book 5- Friends Can be Different, Book 6- Play Safe and Book 7- untitled at this stage, will be about Domestic Violence.
- Stitches supports overseas development with
The Timor-Leste Children's fund. - Yooralla Youth Ministries will help to bring
Stitches to third world communities by working with local schools and mothers and
children's groups. We also aim to translate Stitches Educational programs into different languages.
The aim of this campaign is to support the ongoing development of our
community initiatives by raising awareness of Mental Health, Health and Social
Justice Issues. Help us raise Stitches voices for all those who cannot. Promoting Healthy Minds and Hearts through Creative Works. See our Stretch Goal brief for future goals of our organisation.
Treasure Hunt Sample of 1 Character
Our Campaign Project will be a Treasure Hunt with a Difference. Find 12 of our Stitches Characters in a secret location in Parramatta. Visit our Social Media pages (Stitches Collection on Facebook or Instagram) or go on our website, www.stitchescollection.com for our locations. Saturday August 20th during our campaign and then September Saturdays 17th and 24th to meet us and the Stitches Family.
BY DONATING TO THIS CAMPAIGN
BY Donating to this campaign you will receive a Mini or Regular Stitches Doll of your choice and depending on the amount you donate you can also receive a Campaign T-SHIRT or a Signed copy of Bobby Big Ears Newly Released book, Embrace your Differences
A great Gift ready for Christmas
Whether you can relate to the dolls or
To Honor someone you love or
Just because they are just so darn cute
By Donating you are also Paying a doll forward to children in need at Westmead Children's Hospital Aboriginal Unit
Campaign T-Shirts
We support the LGBTQI+ Community - We are aiming to make two life size mascots for the 2023 International Mardi Gras.
Timmy Talulah & Bonnie Blue
