Service Project

Service Project

Joy Doll Hospital-A Client Experience

Did you know that Basic Organization does a service project each season? We have learned that you can donate or recycle just about anything.  We love educating our clients (and non-clients) about these local possibilities.

In Autumn 2022 we collected American Girl dolls, doll clothing, and accessories for The Joy Doll Hospital, located just south of us in Virginia. The Joy Doll Hospital is run by a 15-year-old girl named Leah.

Her mission is to give hope and encouragement to girls who are awaiting adoption or have been removed from their families.

This love is provided by refurbishing broken or discarded dolls and then gifting them through qualified organizations. The most recent doll donation was through the Ukrainian Project in Hungary, delivered to children fleeing the violence of war in Ukraine.

We collected donations in September and October 2022. But when the doll doctor heard we were a professional organizing company she said that she really needed help organizing her workspace. We jumped at the opportunity to create a great space for this deserving young lady. Here is an overview of how we planned the project and then completed it in one day.

Beginning

It was originally intended as a service project, but as soon as we were asked to volunteer our expertise, it turned into an organizing project.

Since the location of the job was a little farther than we usually travel and we wanted to complete the project in one-day planning was key! The doll hospital sent us a bunch of photos of the current workspace situation. We then asked a lot of questions. Usually, I do an in-home assessment with prospective clients, but because this was not possible we did a little more “winging it” than usual.

As a result of the photos, we were able to identify the types of items in the space and, therefore, which types of storage would be most effective.

We jumped into action with a little brainstorming (we consulted Pinterest for ideas) and then shopping. To make it affordable, we shopped second-hand, at thrift stores, and on Facebook Marketplace. and filled 3 cars with the materials we gathered, including a work table, a small bookcase, a whole lot of plastic drawers, and some fabric bins. Denene even framed the Joy Doll Hospital logo and a photo to decorate the space.

Middle

Teamwork was the name of the game for this project. Four team members, including our bookkeeper Sue, came to help. It was Sue’s first time working on-site and we all learned how organized she REALLY is!

The day started with us gifting the doll donations from all of our NoVA neighbors to the doll doctor.  We then checked out the space we’d be working in. Just like a lot of new clients, we spent a short time learning what was important for the space to function and how the doctor worked in the space. We learned that she sits on the floor while working on the dolls so she can spread things out. The team members who are old enough to be her grandmother hadn’t considered the floor as a work option! Just goes to show that everyone is different and we need to adapt to the needs of our clients. No worries. We knew that we were going to create some open space!

As with a lot of organizing projects, we start by moving out as much as possible from the space.  We were then able to install the large storage pieces like furniture and shelving. While moving things out we started MACRO sorting. Collecting all the different types of clothing, shoes, tools, and supplies required for the project.

It makes for a bit of chaos, but don’t worry! I tell a lot of clients it’s going to look worse before it looks better.

That was a “for sure” statement for this job. But we are confident in what we can accomplish in a day, and don’t easily get overwhelmed.

Once the furniture was in place we started the MICRO sorting. Sue sorted and paired up (my guess) a thousand pairs of shoes. She then categorized them into types. Slippers, sneakers, flats, boots, etc… This will allow the doll doctor to find what she needs in an instant. Lori sorted the dolls (at least 100) into types by hair, skin, and eye color. We brought fabric bins for the dolls waiting for repairs. Additionally, they were stored in similar types so the doctor will be able to quickly and easily locate her inventory.

The fabric bins fit very efficiently onto one set of wiring shelving, making more space in the space!

Denene worked with the doctor to set up her desk area with the supplies she always uses to repair the dolls. Having everything she needs close by makes her work more efficient.

I filled the rest of the plastic drawers we brought with all types of clothing (pants, sweaters, underwear, etc…) while Denene organized the dresses. To display some of the dresses available for the dolls, she set up a small wardrobe, but many, many more were placed in large drawers to be stored until required.

End

This job was a bit unusual compared to most of our other projects because we did very little decluttering. We knew that her inventory comes in and then after repairs, it goes out.  This is unlike an ordinary client who is usually focused on getting rid of what no longer serves them.

We finished off the design by adding some pretty baskets and other repurposed containers.

The doctor’s final touch was to add a string of twinkle star lights to make the space her own. In the end, we left the doll doctor with a tidy organized space. We made good use of all the materials we brought and what she already had. It’s now an efficient and much more pleasing space to work in.

Working on the Joy Doll Hospital Service Project was a fulfilling project indeed.