Barbara Lakins, a volunteer with Team TLC NYC, uses old Barbies she buys or donated dolls to restore the toys as gifts for migrant children.
Barbara Lakin sits on a bus in New York City, her fingers busy sewing blue thread into a tiny dress. On the seat beside her, six disheveled Barbie dolls stick out of her backpack.
"Some of these families have traveled from country to country to get to the border, then spent 40 hours on a bus to come here. They got everything taken away from them," Lakin, 66, said. Last week alone, 2,300 asylum-seekers entered the system, Williams-Isom said while discussing the crisis at a briefing at The Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, the city's first asylum-seeker arrival center.
The store, in front of Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, has served thousands of migrants since opening in March, Team TLC NYC director Ilze Thielmann told CNN. While toys will never take away the trauma they experienced or the hardships they still face, Lakin said the dolls do make a difference. She began cutting the shirts into short sleeves, using the leftover fabric to make scrunchies and dresses for the Barbies. This way, she can donate matching Barbie dolls and shirts to father-and-daughter duos who come to the store.
Lakin, who spent decades as a sweater designer, takes her creative process seriously, carefully creating the Barbies' outfits, whether it's a classy strapless mini dress or a maxi dress with a crisscross halter top.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Aqua Breaks Silence On Barbie Movie's Use Of Their Song After Mattel Lawsuit HistoryAqua breaks their silence on the Barbie movie's creative use of their hit 1997 song 'Barbie Girl,' which had caused significant friction with Mattel.
Read more »
Influencer Kai Cenat charged with inciting a riot after New York City mayhemSocial media influencer Kai Cenat has been charged with inciting a riot after he announced a giveaway of video game consoles that drew thousands of people to a New York City park on Friday and sparked violent clashes with police.
Read more »
Influencer charged after chaos erupts in New York City's Union SquareA promise of free PlayStations appears to have led to a chaotic scene of unrest in New York City's Union Square, police said.
Read more »
New York City May Be Getting a Canyon RanchThe spa that practically invented the wellness industry will now have to compete with everything it’s wrought.
Read more »
New York City high school student charged with hate-motivated murder in killing of gay dancerSibley, a 28-year-old professional dancer, died July 29 after being stabbed in the torso at a Brooklyn gas station.
Read more »
New York City cancer doctor kills herself and her baby, police sayAn oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital shot her baby and then herself at their home in Somers, a town about 50 miles northeast of New York City, Saturday morning, New York State Police say.
Read more »