Sewing for charity at 95.

Frances Ratke of Elgin, Illinois, celebrated her 95th birthday in October, but she is still busy using her talents to help those less fortunate than herself. Most days, Ratke crochets and hand sews toy animals, such as dogs, monkeys, mice, and elephants. The lively senior makes her stuffed animals out of scraps of material given to her by friends, one of whom is a seamstress. She makes several animals each month and never sells any for profit. Instead, she has them shipped to the Community Crisis Center in Elgin. "It keeps me out of mischief," Ratke told the Suburban Chicago Courier News. "It's something to do."

A great grandmother, Ratke is a strong believer in recycling and makes her stuffed animals out of leftover scraps of material. She donates her own leftover scraps to the Gail Borden Library for children's crafts.

"If someone else can use something, then why not?" Ratke observed.

Ratke started making clothes for her own daughter, Ann, back in the 1970s. Her daughter was confined to a wheelchair and required clothing that was easy to button and unbutton. This experience caused her to take an interest in children at the crisis centers, and she started making the stuffed animals for them.