A philanthropic program to offer comfort.

The Hug-a-Bear program provides an ongoing supply of teddy bears to local police, fire departments and other Benton County agencies, as well as the Oregon State Police. These new bears are given to comfort children in traumatic situations.

 

Hug-a-Bear supplies teddy bears to the following agencies:

  • Benton County Health Department’s ACIST program
  • Oregon State Police
  • Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care
  • Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV)
  • Benton County Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
  • Community Outreach
  • Corvallis Fire Dept. Emergency Medical Services
  • Monroe Rural Fire District
  • Philomath Police Department
  • Philomath Fire Dept. Emergency Medical Services
  • ABC House
  • Samaritan Evergreen Hospice

“Dear Assistance League,

Please accept my sincere gratitude for your support of our bereavement program.  At our recent family grief group we invited our child participants to create a grief support bag for another child who is just entering the grief experience.  The kids put a bear and a picture or note into a bag with other additional supportive items.  It was very sweet to watch these experienced grievers share their knowledge with new grievers.  It allowed the kids an opportunity to share what they have learned about grief and to realize that they have helpful tips to share with others.  The kids loved holding the bears – filling them with love and compassion before placing them in the bag.  They also made support bags for themselves and were thrilled to take them home.  One very tender moment was a four year old who quietly asked if she could make a bear bag for her “sad mommy”.  Thank you for making this meaningful evening possible.”

With gratitude,

Melissa, Lumina Hospice

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“I’d like to thank you for the Teddy Bears. They are a very huggable addition to the gift prepared for each child in foster care. We heard wonderful stories about how happy the children were to receive them. The teddy bears went to children that at times are moved multiple times to homes and families they are unfamiliar with. The teddy bears are somthling ‘cuddable’ they can take anywhere they go.”

~ Maria Haroldson, CASA
(Court Appointed Special Advocates) Executive Director