From its early years as a home demonstration club in the 1970s to its present-day incarnation as a dedicated community service organization, The Potpourri Club has been helping change lives in the Tomball and Magnolia area for more than 30 years.

Nezaire Richardson, a longtime resident of Stagecoach and one of the original members, said the group started in 1964 as a home demo club. In 1973, the club changed its name to The Potpourri Club.

At left, Sylvia Corolla, (left) an original member of the Potpourri Club, works on sewing together a Love Pet alongside fellow longtime member Joanne Patrick (right) during a Sept. 10 workshop. The club is near completing its 30,000 Love Pet for children visiting the emergency room of Tomball Regional Medical Center.

In addition to serving the community through donating to the Society of Samaritans, Tomball Emergency Assistance Ministries (TEAM), the Boys and Girls Club and women’s shelters, the club’s most famous and unique gift to the community comes in the form of Love Pets.

Love Pets are small stuffed animals or sometimes seasonal creations like Christmas trees or pumpkins, which are made with care by members of the Potpourri Club and given to children who visit the emergency room of Tomball Regional Medical Center (TRMC).

Richardson said that choosing a name for the club happened organically.

“Well, one lady says, ‘We do a little bit of everything,’ so let’s name it the Potpourri Club,” Richardson said. “And we just went from there.”

And went they did.

In nearly 30 years, the Potpourri Club has completed almost 30,000 Love Pets. In 1990, the group presented its 10,000th animal to Tomball Regional Medical Center. Today, the group is preparing to present its 30,000th Love Pet to the TMRC.

Richardson said the pets have a “calming” effect on the children, and the bonus — the kids get to keep them.

“The hospital has been very grateful through the years,” Richardson said. “In fact, they’ll call us if they get low (on Love Pets).”

Barbara Caldwell, the volunteer coordinator for TRMC, said the hospital, children and their families “deeply appreciate” the Love Pets.

Caldwell estimates that on a weekly basis, roughly 100 children receive the stuffed gifts.

“It’s amazing that they just give their time so freely to a service that helps children,” she said. “It’s just a comfort for the children in the ER because they’re scared.”

Many in the all-women group have been members since the club’s inception. Currently, there are 23 regular members and eight “emeritus” members — those who “come when they can,” said Richardson.

The group’s by-laws specify that no more than 26 members be in the group at one time.

Longtime member Barbara Bray said the group was looking for a project to work on besides the usual community service when they came up with Love Pets.

“It’s nice to have someone tell you how helpful the animal was at the time,” she said. “There’s a need for it. We’ve gotten letters through the years from children and parents thanking us, saying what a gift it was.”

Most of the material used to create the pets, which is a special double-knit fabric, is donated by people in the community.

“We get calls all the time from people who have double-knit fabric,” Richardson said. “Not many people wear double-knit anymore.”

In addition to the good the group has done for the community, Richardson said the friendships that have formed between the women throughout the years are what she takes away most.

“I think about the friendship and sisterhood,” she said. “We’re a very close-knit group; the friendship is what means the most to me. It’s just a wonderful group.”

Janet Fish, a 9-year member who is currently the chairperson in charge of the Love Pets, reiterated Richardson’s feelings about the group.

“I’ve not met anyone from Potpourri I don’t love,” she said. “They’re always there for you, it’s very close-knit. They’re extremely kind and loving,” Fish said of her fellow club members.

Fish recalled friends mentioning their children and grandchildren’s visits to the emergency room and how the Love Pets made such a difference.

“That gives you a little warm feeling in your heart, like, I helped make those,” she said. 

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