Friend indeed Pitching in to provide comfort for scared kids
Toolbox
By Brent Curtis Herald Staff - Published: September 24, 2008
The United Way of Rutland County and Citizens Bank know a traumatized child needs something to cling to.
That's why the nonprofit group and the bank teamed up this week to deliver teddy bears to police departments throughout Rutland County.
On Tuesday, United Way executive director Chuck Sharp and Citizens Bank branch manager Kelley Quirk visited the Rutland Police Department and Rutland County Sheriff's Department with bags of bears that will ride along with police.
"It really helps, believe it or not," Sheriff Stephen Benard said, holding one of the fuzzy, bow-tie-wearing bears in one hand.
While small in Benard's grip, for a child traumatized by an accident, fire, domestic assault or other calamity, the bear's size is just right — providing an emotional anchor and refuge from the storm.
"Any time that a child needs to go into an ambulance or with an officer, they're a lot calmer if they have a bear," Benard said.
Sharp and Quirk said they had been working together to supply police departments around the county with teddy bears for the past three years. This year, the two groups gave 150 bears to local police, they said.
"We started out doing this at the local branch," Quirk said. "Now, it's gone corporate."
Contact Brent Curtis at brent. curtis@rutlandherald.com.
13