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Court News Ohio
Court Employees and
Jail Inmates Team Up to Support Kids
By Jenna Gant
April 8, 2015
Orient Correctional Complex inmates can stitch more stuffed animals for
children thanks to court employees who hosted a fundraiser to pay for
new sewing machines.
It’s for a community service program that has inmates constructing
stuffed bunnies and bears for children who come before the Delaware
County Probate and Juvenile Court for reasons including divorce
proceedings and adoptions.
“It’s such a special day for those kids who have often been in abusing
homes, who have been in very unstable environments, and are finally
getting that permanent home,” Judge David Hejmanowski said. “And this
is just something that makes it a little more special, something a
little more memorable for them from that day. A 3- or 4-year-old might
not remember the legal proceedings that went on, but they’ll remember
that stuffed animal.”
Judge Hejmanowski’s following in his predecessor’s footsteps as he
continues handing out stuffed animals in his courtroom. Retired Judge
Ken Spicer started the venture more than 10 years ago as a way to
comfort little kids.
When the two traveled to the Orient Correctional Complex earlier this
year to talk about the program, Judge Hejmanowski noticed that the
stuffed animal creators lacked working sewing machines.
“One of the things we noticed was although apparently at one point they
had eight or nine operational sewing machines in the community service
room, they were down to three, and two of those three were about on
their last legs,” Judge Hejmanowski said.
Court employees set up an internal fundraiser to pay for additional
sewing machines in late March and raised nearly $600 through a raffle
and selling breakfast foods and desserts. A sewing machine was also
donated. The staff said they raised the funds for a worthy cause.
“It gives joy. There are a lot of negative things that can happen here,
but that’s one of the very positive things,” said Billie Jo Propst,
probate office manager.
“It’s just something wonderful about the way in which the kids’ faces
light up when you bring that animal out,” Judge Hejmanowski said.
The inmates and court employees encourage a brighter future to the
dozens of children who each year receive one of the stuffed toys.
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