With a little more help from the community, 100 girls in Africa will have dolls for the first time in their lives.

From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3645 Moorpark Road, volunteers are needed to complete the last 30 dolls. Earlier this year a goal was set to make 100 blankets and 100 dolls. The community responded, but more effort is needed.

“We have sewn all 100 blankets and have finished 70 dolls and partially completed the other 30, so we think a two-hour class will finish them up,” Thousand Oaks resident Shirley Jones said.

Missionaries Karen and Jim Greding travel to remote areas of Africa four times a year. Jim organizes and oversees the building of wells in villages that don’t have easy access to water. The Mormon church pays for the pipes and equipment. African locals supply the labor. Jim also supervises the building of schools.

Without the wells, children, usually girls, forfeit their educations to walk for miles each day to bring water to their villages, Jones said.

While Jim is supervising the well construction, Karen teaches maternal hygiene and infant health to the women. She plans to give the handmade blankets to new mothers.

Karen realized earlier this year that, in the eight years she’d been serving as a missionary in Africa, she’d seen only one girl with a doll.

She told friends she’d like to bring the dolls and blankets back on her November trip, and the community united behind the effort.

“We’re excited because we know that all the materials and donated hours will make it possible for a girl in Africa to have a doll of her own,” Jones said.

All of the fabric and sewing has been donated by residents of Thousand Oaks. The Gredings will take the items to Africa in their luggage.

“One hundred percent of our efforts will go directly to these children. There is no expense for overhead. And, they will have it in their hands before the year is up,” Jones said.