Perhaps it was by chance that Rosie Murcko, Pulaski Township, crossed paths with an elderly woman a few months ago at a local drug store.

Mrs. Murcko said she was standing at the drug counter when she overheard a woman briefly lamenting about her expenses. She was so stirred by the woman's plight, she wanted to offer her some relief.

With the help of eight girls -- and more than 400 homemade paper dolls -- life may be a little easier for that elderly woman from the drug store.

The eight girls, mainly from the West Middlesex area, are known as the Make a Difference Team. They began making and selling paper dolls and outfits in early June under Mrs. Murcko's supervision to pay for three months worth of the woman's prescription costs.

The team consists of: Sierra Hall, Amanda Novosel, Danielle Monaco, Miranda Johnson, Margaret Drda, Jessica Collins, Emily Singelis and Sara Ross. They range in age from 8 to 13.

The girls plan to continue their humanitarian project until the end of this month when they plan to present the check.

Each Wednesday the girls gather for about two hours around Mrs. Murcko's dining room table making paper dolls and outfits out of scrap book paper. Thursday mornings they sell them at the VFW flea market on state Route 18, West Middlesex.

A "Make a Difference" doll costs $1, and outfits are 25 cents. To cover the costs of materials the girls sell cake for 50 cents a slice.

So far the girls have sold about 400 dolls and outfits. The outfits draw the most attention. There are cheerleader, cow girl, princess, Pittsburgh Pirate and Scooby Doo costumes, among others.

Mrs. Murcko said the girls are "very creative" with the doll clothes and have surpassed their monthly selling goals. Their goal was to raise enough money to cover three month's worth of prescription costs for the woman, but now in their second month of sales the girls have raised enough for five months of prescriptions.

"They've been doing so good, and also their parents who bring them and haul them," Mrs. Murcko said. "I'm very proud of them and they're proud of themselves," Mrs. Murcko said.

The girls from the Make a Difference Team said they enjoy making and selling the outfits.

"I really enjoy it. It's really, really fun," said Jessica Collins, 8, West Middlesex. "It's nice because we get to help the woman who needs her prescriptions."

Sara Ross, 13, and her sister Emily Singelis, 10, travel from Warren, Ohio to their great-aunt's house every Wednesday and Thursday to help out. Sara said she sometimes takes her work home with her.

"I've enjoyed doing this because you get to be creative and help somebody at the same time," she said.

Mrs. Murcko said the project has taught the team many valuable lessons, mainly the joy that comes with helping others. They've also learned the proper way to handle money and can count back change to their customers.

"They're much better off handling money now," Mrs. Murcko said. "Previously if they had bought something they wouldn't have known how much change they were supposed to get back."

She said the girls have also learned about record keeping. They use an inventory sheet and a stock box to track sales.

The customers, which include the girls themselves, have been supportive in buying the dolls, Mrs. Murcko said.

"A lot of people say 'I haven't seen paper dolls since I was a little kid.' It was an idea that worked out very well," she said.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Larissa Theodore at ltheodore@sharon-herald.com