This week I wanted to feature
Bears on Patrol (BOPS). The concept behind this organization is simple. Children deal with lots of scary things and many times the police have to be involved in their lives. Bears on Patrol provides teddy bears to police officers so that they may hand them out to a small child when the need arises.
From the
BOPS website:
Bears on Patrol is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation organized in Georgia, according to state and federal laws. Our EIN, for tax purposes, is 26-4029941.
What is the program? The idea for Bears on Patrol started in November of 2008 when I realized that the teddy bears that we sell at Blake's Sublime Designs have so many possible uses. To explain the program very simply, we provide free teddy bears for police officers to use in any situations where small children are involved. Psychological studies have proven that stuffed animals have a significant calming effect on children in stressful or traumatic circumstances. Why should I donate or get involved? Let's look at a few scenarios. Imagine that you are driving with your family when you are suddenly involved in an accident, possibly with injuries. That's a scary situation, right? Now, imagine that same situation through the eyes of a small child. Seeing his or her parents injured and police officers at the scene can be frightening for a child. Also imagine a situation where a child's parents have been fighting and the police are there, maybe taking one of the parents with them. This is definitely an emotionally traumatizing event, and one that can lead to fear of police officers. If one of the officers present in either of the scenarios were carrying a teddy bear, they could share it with the child involved to help calm and distract them, and also to help the child realize that the police are not the "bad guys". The teddy bears obviously do not ease all of the trauma of the situation, but every bit helps.
To learn more about this organization click HERE.
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