For the 4 year, Honorary Rotarian of the RC of Wadsworth, 96 year old Helen Shurance of Seville, Ohio hand made this year 150 dolls for the babies at the Pregnant Women's Shelter in Chinnendega, Nicaragua. Over the past 4 years she has personally knitted over 600 50 dolls to be given to these children. After seeing an article in the local newspaper regarding PDG Jack Young as to what the Rotary Clubs were doing at the Children of the Dump in Nicaragua, she wanted to do something special for the new born babies. It also should be noted that she was given the Unsung Hero Award from our Past District Governor Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski earlier this year.
After spending most of her married life on a farm in Montville Township with her husband William, Helen is currently residing just outside of Seville with her daughter Becky and son-in-law Rick Hunyady. Giving up the farm and apple orchard in 1994, Helen began making quilts for her 20 grandchildren. She continued quilting making over 100, at least 53 of these completely by hand.
In 2016, Helen learned about Comfort Dolls, softly crocheted and use as packing in medical supplies to protect glass vials of medication and shipped to Africa, Asiaia and Central America.They were given to orphans, sometimes being the child's only possession. She learned about the Shoes Boxes and Latettes to Nicaragua after seeing an article in the local paper about Jack Young and the work being done by Rotary Clubs in Nicaragua. After contacting him several years ago, she decided to begin making these dolls. Therefore, Jack and Marsha Pappalardo, Past President of the RC of Brunswick have been in contact with her since then. Helen is certainly living the motto of "Service Above Self" .