By Lora Oehlberg

Town Crier Editorial Intern

When Luanne Malkmus restarted a Stockton tradition of a Holiday Doll Raffle for charity, three dolls with 15 outfits each were raffled off to benefit the Ecumenical Hunger Program. But this year, a fourth doll will be in a special raffle, for the children who are helped by the program.

“After last year’s raffle when all the dolls went to little girls in the donor community I thought it would be more EHP-like to have one for sure to go to the clients’ community,” said Malkmus, 12-year volunteer with Ecumenical Hunger Program and founder of the doll raffle. “The little girls there of course should have all the imagination and dreams of any little girl.”

This year, the Gals and Dolls Cloth Doll Club of San Jose made some of the doll clothes. Their contribution of 48 doll outfits allowed Ecumenical Hunger to raffle off the fourth doll to participating families. An anonymous donor purchased raffle tickets to be distributed among the families that the program serves, so that a special doll will be given to one of the children of the program’s families for Christmas.

Three dolls, each with 15 custom-made outfits, including shoes and accessories, and trunks donated by Lin’s Toy Cupboard of Los Altos, will be raffled off this holiday season as part of the Ecumenical Hunger Program’s Doll 2001 Raffle.

The raffle began in 2000 raising more than $5,000, and hopes to raise double that amount this season. Since all materials and resources for the doll raffle are donated by merchants and individuals, the raffle ticket proceeds go directly to Ecumenical Hunger.

“The doll idea came to me one night when I couldn’t sleep, and I remembered this idea from growing up in Stockton where every Christmas a doll and wardrobe was raffled. It was displayed in “the big department store” window all Christmas season and all the little girls drooled over the gorgeous clothes and accessories,” Malkmus said. “It made sense to me to do this with a broader interest: three dolls of different colors with ethnic outfits so any little girl could want her.”

“It has been the most satisfying fund-raiser I have ever worked on. I have met the most interesting and fun people through the project,” said Bridget Morgan of Los Altos, a volunteer with the Ecumenical Hunger Program, who made bridesmaid dresses for the dolls.

Each doll has an exquisite wedding ensemble fashioned from vintage silk and lace. The dolls’ outfits include party dresses, sports outfits, pajamas and robes, coats, skirts, sweaters, and a wedding gown with a veil and bouquet.

“I think the women who sew for the dolls mostly love dolls in general and clothes and designing clothes,” Malkmus said. “It’s kind of like big girls playing dolls.”

The Ecumenical Hunger Program is an East Palo Alto-based organization that channels food and resources to families experiencing hunger or poverty in East Palo Alto, Palo Alto and Menlo Park.

Ecumenical Hunger will be selling tickets, $2 each, or 6 for $10, until the official drawing on Dec. 23. The dolls will be displayed through the holiday season at several downtown Los Altos stores: The Cranberry Scoop, Marion Jackston, Calla, and Linden Tree Children’s Records & Books.

Tickets will be available at Vogue Hair Design at 199 First St. For information or tickets, call Luanne Malkmus at 851-7879. To schedule a donation to the Ecumenical Hunger Program, call 323-7781.