ABOUT US
Two
Moms on a Mission to Teach About Virtues
Anna
Pallisco and Sandra Maola are mothers
of young children on a mission to teach children about virtuous
living.
With
many popular singers, movie stars and TV shows negatively influencing
children, the two concerned mothers believe, now more than ever,
their children, friends, and classmates need positive and inspirational
mentors to look up to and to imitate. This is often the case with
dolls and toys.
Co-Founder
Sandra Maola: “Anna and I are appalled with the type of doll
one can find in your average toy store. You will often find dolls
that look more like prostitutes than young girls. The dolls in particular
that concerns us the most has even named their product line after
a common term for a spoiled or ill-mannered child, or ‘brat.’
This particular line of dolls or ‘brats,’ whose website
constantly promote having parties and meeting boys, is a perfect
example of how secular society tries to impress our children in
a way that could be detrimental to their character. We, like many
other mothers, are worried about the message that some of these
products are sending young children today.”
To
combat this, they have begun to develop products that promote the
lives of biblical characters or saints of the Church with an emphasis
on a particular virtue that they were known for. Their specialty
is a line of cuddly, plush, child-like saint or spiritual hero dolls
called "Faith-filled Friends" and a forthcoming line of
Old Testament prophets dolls called "Prophet Pals."
“We
feel very determined and inspired to market our dolls as the wholesome
alternative to these negative secular dolls with positive faith-based
dolls that build up children and reinforce positive and character-building
virtues. We want to encourage children to be saints not brats,”
says Anna Pallisco, co-founder of Faith-filled Friends. “Our
message is simple: Follow the lives of the saints and their teachings,
practice virtues, and live out these virtues. It is a recipe given
to us by God to keep our children safe and on the right path. Our
dolls give children the visual tools and hands-on images that they
need as a means of learning.”
Sandra
says: “Many preschool and elementary school teachers agree
that Faith-filled Friends is the perfect visual aid to teach young
children about the saints and help in promoting the virtues that
these spiritual heroes perfectly practiced. Studies have shown that
some children learn better visually. Young children are more apt
to learn through hands-on activities. Also, many times what children
see helps them to register and remember information. I was told
by Pam Talbot, a fourth-grade parochial teacher at my children’s
school, that many of the boys, in particular, are drawn to the Blessed
Mother dolls. Several students have asked her to allow them to place
the dolls at their desk as a constant reminder of Our Virgin Mother’s
love and affection. We had no idea of the reaction our dolls have
caused in the young and not-so-young alike.”
The
founders themselves believe in practicing the virtue of generosity
on behalf of the customer by donating a portion of the proceeds
of a particular doll they purchased to a specific charity somehow
associated with the saint, hero or virtue.
For
more information contact Sandra Maola at 760-945-9687 or by e-mail
at info@faithdolls.com.This press release was first published at
www.catholicexchange.com
on March 6, 2004.
Faith-filled
Dolls in Australia.
