'We Care Bears Project' Comforts Kids With Stuffed Animals In Scary Situations
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— A 12-year-old girl made a special delivery of stuffed animals to San Francisco's fire department on Tuesday as part of her "We Care Bears Project", a non-profit that comforts kids in emergency situations.
Jessica Carscadden of San Diego got the idea for her organization when she was nine-years-old. Her charitable offering included 20 bags of stuffed animals to be delivered to kids by emergency responders in what can often times be scary situations for kids.
"I was cleaning my room and I saw this bag of stuffed animals and my mom wanted me to either throw it away or give it to somebody and I wanted to give it to the fire department across the street," she said.
'We Care Bears Project' Comforts Kids With Stuffed Animals In Scary Situations
She went on to hold a bear drive at her school, which has snowballed to about 130,000 stuffed animals raised so far and given to some 20 police and fire departments around the country.
San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes White said her department is honored to be the latest recipient.
"It just adds a sense of calm and a sense of security in sort of an uncertain situation," the chief said.
Jessica's mother Kathleen said her adopted daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate. She said she already had a loving and nurturing spirit when she was adopted at the age of five from an orphanage in China.
"She's had seven major surgeries so I think, better than anyone, she understands what kind of comfort a stuffed animal or Teddy bear brings," said her mother.
Kathleen said her daughter's orphanage only had one stuffed toy for all the children to share.
The San Francisco Police Department is also receiving 50 bags of stuffed animals from Jessica's organization.
