How Does Donating Stuffed Animals Help Kids in Need?
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Comfort
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Stuffed animals help comfort needy children all over the world by offering them an unconditional friend who is always present. Children can hug, squeeze and sleep with a special stuffed animal. All kids love to be held and comforted, but in areas of extreme poverty and times of crisis, adults are not always available to offer one-on-one comfort to each child. When children's protective service workers remove children from their parents, the children are not always receptive to receiving comfort from complete strangers, at least initially. However, when emergency workers, missionaries, or foster parents offer stuffed animals to kids in need their little faces light up, and some of their fears dissipate.
Something to Call Their Own
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Children usually arrive without any possessions when they come to their first foster care home, or survive some catastrophic event. When these children look around, they see other children playing with toys, and their lack of possessions becomes more obvious. When a child first comes into foster care, it can take state agencies up to six weeks to process funds for the child's clothing, toys and personal needs. Likewise, in times of catastrophe, it takes time for the agencies to collect donations to help those affected. It is times such as these when donating stuffed animals helps kids in need.
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Companionship
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When children have suffered trauma from a house fire, serious automobile accident, or other tragic event they may be numb and near shock. Offering these children a donated stuffed animal to embrace immediately can help them through this trying time in their young lives. Many local agencies--such as local police, fire, the Department of Human Services, and the Red Cross--accept stuffed animal donations to help kids in need. There are also agencies that help kids all over the world by accepting stuffed animal donations and distributing them such as Good Samaritans Purse and My Stuff Bags.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Julia Fuller
