“Heavy Helpers” Crafted at Campus Volunteer Event in Support of The Children’s Center

On Tuesday, Nov 10, the Human Development and Psychology Clubs partnered with the Children’s Center to hold an on-campus volunteer event. At the event, attendees were invited to make “Heavy Helpers”—weighted stuffed animals—which may be calming for those with sensory issues or anxiety. 

The Children’s Center, founded in 1986, is a non-profit organization based in Clark County whose mission is “to serve children, youth and families through comprehensive community-based mental health services” (Children’s Center Mission Statement). The organization offers therapy and psychiatric services, and has mental health programs with over 40 schools in the area, allowing kids to receive mental health support in a familiar environment. 

The organization also offers many volunteering opportunities, including their food and toy drive initiatives, assisting at the therapy garden, fundraising, and crafting Heavy Helpers.  

At the event, volunteers received instructions detailing how to make one of the weighted plushes: use a seam ripper to open a stuffed animal, craft a weighted core using aquarium gravel, plastic bags, and duct tape, and stuff it inside before sewing the animal back up.  

In an interview with William Duff, the Psychology Club treasurer, he shared that the organization provides services for kids and adolescents aged 2-18, and that they’ve seen an uptick in youth affected by methamphetamine abuse. “So the weight of these stuffed animals helps calm the nerve system and allows them to sit, relax, and try and think through tough situations at home, at school, anywhere you can really think of.”  

When asked about the Psychology Club’s involvement, Duff said that the Human Development Club president, Kellen Batten, had already had a prior connection with the Children’s Center, having previously helped assemble weighted Helpers. Batten is also good friends with the Psychology Club president, which led to their involvement in the event.  

Duff also shared that the Psychology Club itself is looking into volunteering at the Children’s Center, but the abundance of required paperwork leaves him with doubts about whether that partnership will come to fruition. 

However, he said they are also looking to get involved with a food bank on campus, and are currently planning to conduct a gingerbread-man decorating event at the end of finals week. “We’re gonna just decorate gingerbread men … and then just have fun, de-stress from finals, and send everybody off on their holiday break, whatever holiday they want to celebrate.”