Brooksby residents donate puppets

PEABODY – For the last few months, several residents of Brooksby Village in Peabody have been hard at work making homemade puppets for children in El Salvador.So far, over 60 have been made using actual socks and felt, plus fun decorative accessories. A few pocketbooks were even made, and stuffed with love in the form of a pin and a necklace.The idea to make the hand puppets started with resident Gerry Donovan and friend Nelda Quigley, who have traveled to El Salvador for the past 10 years as part of the volunteer-based organization ASAPROSAR, the Salvadoran Association for Rural Health.The organization was officially founded in 1985, but their ideals have been well practiced since the last 1960s. Its sole purpose is to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for at-risk youth in El Salvador, who might otherwise wind up in the labor market or gangs.During their trips, Quigley and Donovan noticed that many young children not only enjoyed playing with hand puppets, but also used them as a means of communication, particularly when speaking about difficult subjects.”Psychologists use the puppets to teach conflict resolution and express issues they’re not comfortable talking about,” said Quigley.The idea to make hand puppets before the next trip to South America came from another Brooksby resident, Doris Loschi.”I’ve been a long supporter of donations,” she said. “But this is the first year with the puppets. None of us had any idea what we were going to do.”The group met every Sunday for three hours over the last few months and sewed together a variety of fun puppets. Some even went so far as to add fake hair, long eyelashes and ruby red lips.”This isn’t a program that gives handouts,” said Donovan. “It’s a program that gives hands-ups.””I never thought it was going to bloom like this,” said Loschi.Donovan and Quigley plan on making their next annual trip next May and, of course, bringing with them all of their heart-filled creations.