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Youth to Youth
Bear Hugs Project
Co-sponsored by the Center for
Cooperative Principles and
Children of
the Earth
We would
like to thank the over 2000 children who participated in
the Youth to Youth Bear Hugs Project in 2006 and 2007.
Many hearts were touched by your generosity. The heroism
shown by so many children and adults who have overcome
trauma and tragedy to help others and to rebuild their
lives is a testament to the human spirit. We are honored
and privileged to have met you.
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Over 150 teddy bears
were given to Benjamin Banneker Elementary in
New Orleans on June 12, 2006. |
The Youth to
Youth Bear Hugs Project is goodwill in action. Youth
long to express caring and compassion for others and to
give generously from their hearts. This project provides
children and youth the opportunity to send care and
comfort to other children in a tangible way. This
experience opens the hearts of the young, develops an
ethic of compassion, and expands their awareness of and
connection with others.
The Bear
Hugs Project recognizes that a personal expression of
friendship, and a cuddly teddy bear to hold, can help
heal the aching heart of a child. Through this program
youth order teddy bears and write personalized messages
of caring and encouragement, including their name and
the address of their school or organization, on tags
that are attached to teddy bears. The teddy bears are
then sent to children around the world who have
experienced trauma or stress.
 The
Hurricane Katrina Projects 2007
This year we focused on the
New Orleans area. We are in the final stages of
collecting teddy bear orders and planning our trip to
distribute the bears this summer. One school sent this
letter describing the chores that the students did to
earn the money to buy a bear for a child in New Orleans.
Click this thumbnail to
open the letter in a larger view -->
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Liz Mooney
distributes teddy bears to children at Craig
Elementary, New Orleans June 12, 2006. Teddy
bears were distributed to 450 children at
Craig Elementary. |
The Hurricane Katrina and
Tsunami Bear Hugs Projects 2006
Co-sponsored by the Center for Cooperative Principles
and Children of the Earth
Schools and youth groups from the following states
participated in the Katrina and Tsunami Bear Hugs Projects:
| California |
Missouri
|
Nevada |
New Hampshire |
New
Jersey |
| New York |
Ohio |
Vermont |
Washington |
Wisconsin |
Youth from elementary
schools, middle schools, and high schools participated in
the project. Other participating groups included a Brownie
Troop from New Jersey, and a home schooling group from
Washington. A girl from Missouri asked that children not
bring her gifts for her birthday party, but rather order
teddy bears for children impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
First and second grade classes from New Hampshire did extra
chores such as setting the table, making their beds, doing
barn chores, and catching fish and selling them to earn
money so that they could order teddy bears for other
children.
In June 2006 our Youth
Leadership Team distributed teddy bears at Craig Elementary
in New Orleans to children affected by Hurricane Katrina. We
sent pictures and a report about the project to the
participating schools and youth groups. Teddy bears were
taken to Thailand for distribution to children
impacted by the Tsunami.
To read about our
trip to New Orleans in June “The Road to New Orleans: A
Journey of the Heart” click here. (140K PDF)
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