Merciful Like the Father urges us to follow the example of the Father in our personal journeys as Disciples of Christ, revealing individual ways we can bring mercy and comfort to others, especially those facing loss.
In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he describes the most basic physiological needs for human survival: air, water, food, clothing and shelter. The next level, physical and psychological safety, reveals what is needed to grow and thrive. The third level is interpersonal and reflects levels of love and belonging.
The loss of any of these needs is challenging for anyone but for a child, it is overwhelming. For refugee children, the loss of nearly everything – food, clothing, home, security, and a sense of belonging – is devastating.
Steve Lehmann, MBA graduate of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business, first saw this on a rescue mission to Haiti in 2011. After witnessing similar situations during trips to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, he was determined to help these children. Remembering the comfort of his own childhood stuffed animal, Boppy, and inspired by Catholic social teaching, he began to explore the use of teddy bears.
Following years of research and design with humanitarians, child psychologists and toy experts, fast forward to an Azraq refugee camp on the Syrian-Jordanian border. Witnessing lines of silent refugees trying to enter the camp and even longer ones trying to leave standing in sweltering heat, Steve anguished over the misery on the faces of so many children.
Seeing the multi-colored teddy bear in his hand, a desperate mother rushed up to Steve to see if she could replace the towel wrapped like a baby as comfort for her 7-year old daughter. In that moment, Steve saw how Threadies could be a real source of mercy to children and families facing a hellish journey to find a new home in an unknown destination.
Threadies produces twin bears as coping kits for refugee children, each with a special pocket. One sibling goes to a refugee child with research-based trauma healing instructions. The other bear goes to the U.S. donor with a poem to teach about love, healing and the plight of the refugee child holding the sibling bear.
Threadies partners with The Karam Foundation to ensure delivery to refugee children in the greatest need. Child’s Cup Full manufactures the teddy bears, a non-profit focused on training and employing refugee women in the West Bank.
Steve Lehmann represents exactly what Pope Francis and Pope Benedict has called each of us to do – discover and act on ways to make a difference in another person’s life and extend this act for others to replicate in their own journeys as Disciples of Christ.
Lori Doyle - Joined Holy Name Cathedral 6 1/2 years ago when I moved to Chicago. Currently the Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council, I also served as Chair of the Human Concerns Commission. Actively involved in our parish, I also serve as an Extraordinary Minister and a Minister of Care at Prentice Hospital/Northwestern Hospital. Was honored in 2015 with the annual Archdiocese of Chicago Christifidelis award
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