Rescue Bears Experience with Erin Fountain of Institute for Positive Mental Health

First posted November 22nd, 2020

Join our Junior Justice League on December 8 at 3:30pm CST for a Rescue Bear-Making Experience with Erin Fountain, Executive Director of Institute for Positive Mental Health (IPMH). Register here to join our live session.

The Institute for Positive Mental Health (IPMH) is a 501(c)(3) for-impact community mental health organization. They were founded in 1994 and have been known for many years throughout the South and West side for their EXCEL Job Training and Work First Program, their Entrepreneurship Program developing holistic body care products, and as makers of Rescue Bears from mismatched socks. We partnered with Erin last year for a fantastic bear-making program in person – so we’re so honored to be able to partner with the Institute for Positive Mental Health again to host a community-wide virtual Rescue Bear-Making Experience.

“We will take an old, lonely, forgotten sock and turn it into an adorable Rescue Bear,” Erin shared. “ The purpose of the Bear Making Experience is to give people hope during difficult times. Rescue bears are individually crafted and designed to demonstrate THAT and HOW we give purpose and meaning to our world. Once created, Rescue Bears are gifted to people who need a little something to hold onto. They also make a wonderful personalized and unique gift. No two bears are ever alike and there’s no wrong way to make a Bear.” 

Erin will guide us through the steps to make our Rescue Bears, offering tips, answering questions, and sharing ideas to help us make them unique and special. This is a program that is perfect to do as a family, especially when using crafting supplies like scissors and glue guns. Due to the small pieces, Rescue Bears are recommended for children ages 8 and up, especially middle schoolers and teens. Some adult supervision is recommended for young people, especially while using scissors and glue guns. 

Grab & Go Program Kits

We have created free Grab & Go Program Kits to pick up in our Great Green Box at the library, while supplies last, available starting November 30.

They will include: 2 socks, stuffing, mini-rubber bands, googly eyes, a card (to write a note to the person you’ll gift your bear to), and directions.

You’ll need to find these supplies at home: scissors, sharpie, hot glue gun with glue sticks OR fabric glue OR needle & thread, other crafting accessories such as pompons, buttons, feathers, fabric, etc.

You can always make a bear using the supplies you have at home and adapt the directions below accordingly. 

You can join us live on December 8 or you can use this post with our Grab & Go Kit to do this activity at your convenience. You can start by watching these videos.

How to Make a Rescue Bear

We have provided two socks, so you can plan to keep your first bear. This is the bear you are experimenting on and learning how to make a rescue bear. There’s no ONE way to make a bear and no two will be alike. Large socks make large bears; baby socks make baby bears. The heel of the sock will become the face of the bear so select your sock with that in mind. Most accessories are made from sock parts as well. There is no sewing involved. Recycled parts and pieces are valuable accessories.

Adapt these directions to best express your vision for your Rescue Bear. Due to the small pieces, Rescue Bears are recommended for ages 8 and up. Some adult supervision is recommended for young people, especially while using scissors and glue guns.

Select your sock. Orient it so the heel is the head. Put a little bit of fluff in the two bottom corners to make the feet. Wrap a rubber band around each foot.

Fill the rest of the body with fluff (but not too much). Take some fluff and push it out on the sides of the sock to make the arms. Wrap a rubber band around each arm.

Put a rubber band around the bottom of the heel to make a neck.

Fill the heel with fluff.

Wrap a rubber band around the head. (Rubber bands may be a bit fragile, so be careful not to pull them too tightly.) 

Cut the extra sock off but leave enough sock to make ears. Cut the extra sock into circles (ears) using sewing scissors. Put rubber bands around both of them. 

Put fluff in the ears. Put the fluff in with scissors and then glue it shut with a glue gun, fabric glue, or hand-sewing. 

Use a glue gun or fabric glue to affix the eyes. 

Draw on paws and the face with a sharpie.

Using the extra sock material, you can make a hat or scarf. Use the crafting accessories as desired. Be creative. You can even make a personalized facemask for your bear! 

Make plans to safely (think contactless) share your completed Rescue Bear with someone who could use it. Use the card to write a message to the person you’re gifting the bear to.

We’d love to see what you have created and how you’ve shared your bear with others to help them. 

Rescue Bears Experience Recap

First posted December 17th, 2020

We were so honored to host a special Rescue Bear-Making Experience led by Erin Fountain, Executive Director of Institute for Positive Mental Health (IPMH) on December 8, 2020 with a community of incredible Junior Justice League friends. It was especially exciting to have caregivers doing this activity with their kids. All are welcome at Junior Justice League!

Ms. Erin started us out getting our bodies moving with a 1-minute dance break, which was a super fun way to break the ice and help us all loosen up. With so much time spent sitting at our desks in front of screens, it’s so important to remember to exercise and take breaks and take care of our bodies, in whatever ways work for us.

Ms. Erin led us through a joyful and thought-provoking bear-making experience, helping guide us through the many steps to make our bears. As she has said, “The purpose of the Bear Making Experience is to give people hope during difficult times.” She made sure to emphasize the unique and personal aspects of our creations, taking away the pressure of making the perfect bear in the service of creating something special for someone else – and ourselves.

One of our participants, G., regaled us with bear-related jokes and puns. Here’s one gem: What did the bear say after dinner?….. I’m stuffed.

Ms. Erin patiently showed us the many steps for making our bears, demonstrating each step on the bear she made – and often shifting camera angles so we could see her doing the step herself. You can see all the directions for making bears at home in our blog post here. She often repeated the steps to ensure everyone progressed together – and responded to our many questions. It’s clear she has had much experience making bears – and helping others have positive experiences making them. It’s always challenging trying something new – and we all get better with practice.

One benefit of Zoom is that we were able to spotlight our bear makers throughout the program for them to share their in-process and finished creations – and allow us all to marvel at their beauty and creativity. It feels so good to enable people to have the opportunity to share their successes with the group without too much pressure. (Our bear making even inspired some fantastic sock puppet creating, which, of course, reminded me of New Kid by Jerry Craft.)

We were also joined by our friend, Niles Township Supervisor Bonnie Kahn Ognisanti, who made an adorable bear and bunny, who are now living at Niles Township Government!

Bonnie also shared that people can still participate in creating and sharing ornaments for Niles Township’s Tree of Peace at the township government. Bonnie also shared the resources that Niles Township provides to our community. She shared information about the Niles Township Food Pantry. The Food Pantry is also seeking donations of toiletries, if people are looking to support them. She also shared the township has expanded their financial assistance programs, including Child Care Scholarships. She also shared that if people from outside of Niles Township contact them, they will often be redirected to the right people outside of the township.

Donating Bears

During the program, we talked about plans for donating our bears. G. shared that he’s going to give his bear to his nurse neighbor! Bears can be a fantastic way to express our appreciation for the first responders in our community.

We will actually be donating our bears to our local senior living community, Lincolnwood Place! It feels wonderful to know our bears will be reaching people in our community and bringing them joy. You can drop off your donated bear at our curb-side walk-up station and let our staff know to retrieve it.

More Bears!

If you have gotten a bear-making kit in our Great Green Box, please share your bear making at home experiences with us! We’d love to see what you create. Everyone is welcome to make bears – just remember to attribute these ideas to Erin Fountain and the Institute for iPositive Mental Health (IPMH).

It has been a pleasure and a joy to partner with Erin and the Institute for Positive Mental Health (IPMH). We had an absolutely wonderful time planning and hosting this program together – and like the bears, doing things in community to support each other helps us all feel good. I highly recommend partnering with Erin for a Bear-Making Experience at your library, school, organization, and community!