Little Things Can Do A Lot Of Good

Miniatures are a good thing. OK, so maybe I’m channeling an inner Martha Stewart, but I’ve come to realize there is so much more to the miniatures world – and the people who share it with me – that isn’t often expressed or appreciated.

For example, these comments from our recent Grand Prize winner, Colleen DeVore: “I really want to thank Hobby Builders Supply for offering this competition. This project was just what I needed to distract me from some of the reality of my life this last year. Not only was it an incredible amount of fun and entertainment (my friends loved following the progress and even helped with some of the execution), but it gave me a very therapeutic since sense of accomplishment.”

You’re more than welcome, Colleen. We love your work, but are especially delighted to have brought a welcome distraction you find has therapeutic value. That’s a big accomplishment to come from such a small slice of life; thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Another example is our amazing friend Ann, in New York state. She is the force behind Dollhouses for Kids Battling Cancer, a one-woman entity that donates the finished, furnished dollhouses that Ann builds to hospitals and children fighting the disease throughout the northeast and beyond. Since 2006, she has delivered over 430 beautiful houses to these courageous children. She is helped by donations, including in-kind contributions from other miniaturists who send unused furnishings they no longer need.

Many of our customers have donated miniatures.com gift certificates (which we will match) to help Ann's cause, and a previous Creatin' Contest winner even donated a large portion of her Grand Prize award to Ann’s cause. We’re honored to be a small part of such a great effort. (If you’d like to help, contact us at support@miniatures.com or Ann at dollhouse4kids@aol.com.)

Among my current projects is assembling a Real Good Toys Firehouse, a company donation destined to be part of a local auction to benefit the March of Dimes. Glue is drying at the moment but, once furnished, it will be off to become another small bit of good in a big cause.

And then there’s Linda Briggs, our customer in New Mexico who has entered a record 20 of the 23 Creatin’ Contests. She’s not online, so I called to let her know we had (finally!) noticed her loyalty and accomplishment. She hadn’t realized it either, but told me her finished projects go to local children as Christmas presents each year. She’ll be entering the current contest as well; just one woman’s small, quiet way of sharing the love of miniatures and the joy of giving.

I know there are many more such stories; the gifts our community shares may be small in literal terms, but are powerfully big in figurative ones. Thank you, one and all.