“If you’re lonely, you get a sock monkey. If you’re sick, you get a sock monkey.”

Orginally published on Wednesday, September 03, 2008 at 5:56 AM
by Todd Rhoades

Beth VanSickle still remembers the comfort she felt as a child when her grandmother gave her a sock monkey.

"It always brought me joy, no matter what I was going through in my life," she says of the stuffed, handcrafted doll.

Now, struggling with cancer, VanSickle is spreading that same comfort to thousands of others, including children with cancer and troops and children in Iraq.

Volunteers for Sock Monkey Ministries, which VanSickle founded in 2005, find it difficult to keep up with the demand. They have made 8,500 sock monkeys in the last two years, and there is still a waiting list.

"When you look at them, you can't help but smile," she says of whimsical toys...

VanSickle e-mailed about 200 orphanages across the United States offering sock monkey gifts for children. She expected to receive one or two replies, but every orphanage responded with a toy request. Soon, VanSickle recruited several dozen churches and other organizations across the country to help. She calls the volunteers her “monkey posse.”

The ministry has given sock monkeys to cancer patients, children with autism or Down syndrome, soldiers and children in Iraq and Afghanistan, the homeless and anyone else who needs comfort and encouragement.

“Miss Beth has touched everybody’s lives,” says Donna Corbin, a volunteer with VanSickle’s church. “If you’re lonely, you get a sock monkey. If you’re sick, you get a sock monkey.”

Final quote from VanSickle:  “None of us live forever and when you’re diagnosed with a terminal condition, you know that your life is limited. We can do something with the time that you’re given, or not. And it’s a true blessing for me, personally, knowing that I’m leaving this world a better place than when I came in.”

Nice thing they’re doing… putting a smile on many people’s faces.  A ministry?  Maybe.

For some reason it reminds me of an old “Silly Songs with Larry”:  “Stop it, stop, stop right this instant! What do you think you’re doing? You can’t say everyone’s got a water buffalo when everyone does not have a water buffalo! We’re going to get nasty letters saying, “Where’s my water buffalo? Why don’t I have a water buffalo?” And are you prepared to deal with that? I don’t think so! Just stop being so silly!”

Same could be said, quite possibly, about a sock puppet.

Here’s the article...

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Hi... I'm Todd Rhoades. I'm a Christ-follower, husband, father and I love to connect leaders with other leaders. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step on Twitter.

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