Family Health Day in Port Washington, NY

• Monday, January 28, 2008

There are lots of wonderful ideas out there that help families and kids.  This one started by the Port Washington library staff, combined many aspects of family health as well as provided information and experiences that ease anxiety for young children.  Doctors from the local hospital showed children hospital proceedures with teddy bears while ambulances, fire engines and police cars were all available for a visit.  Children wrote out tags for Hugs, planned to bring new teddies to school for a collection drive to help kids in crisis, listened to teddy hearts and fixed "boo boos", while parents became familiar with organizations in the community that help children.  A wonderful effort and  lots of good will...would this work in your community?

To all you "You Tube" Folks

• Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Take a look at this video!  Thanks to the inginuity of our Nebraska Chapter.  Yeah!

End Of Year Troop Deployments

• Friday, December 28, 2007

The 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion from Fort Huachuca, Arizona left just before the Holidays.  150 teddies were provided by Hugs so that their children might have a special bear hug before Mom or Dad left.

Thanks to the effort of Family Readiness Coordinator Kristen Lambrecht.

San Diego Forest Fires Affect A Hugs Chapter

• Monday, October 22, 2007

My family is all safe as of right now, but this fire is honestly very unpredictable and new evacuations have been emerging every hour, on the hour since the fire began yesterday morning. We have about 250,000 people displaced from their homes county-wide tonight, with many of those communities, as I said, surrounding my hometown, so these are my neighbors, my friends, and my family members. Red Cross Shelters have been set up throughout the county, as well as a number of unofficial shelters because of the intense need and over-capacity.

I am very interested in getting some bears to these kids and families. Bless your heart for extended out a helping hand in our time of need. Estimates continue to climb as to the number of homes burned, and this is far from over. It is said to be worse that the "Cedar Fire 2003" in which some homes were just finished rebuilding this month, only to be burnt down again! So tragic. These bears could really bring some light into our very smokey world.

I just wanted to let you know that the number one item being requested by the Police/Volunteers and Red Cross, as of right now, is comfort items for children. The 200 plus Hugs bears that are already on the way will be a big help for these lost and frightened children...  This only further demonstrates the immense impact your organization makes upon people in the worst of circumstances.    :  )

My name is Cristen Boerman and I am currently a student at San Diego State University, about to graduate in May 2008 with a Bachelors of Science in Family Development. I currently hold an Associates of Science degree in Child Development from Cuyamaca College and a permit from the California Comission on Teacher Credentialing as a Teacher.

I plan on working with students at San Diego State as well as local preschools to collect and tag bears for my Chapter of Hugs Across America.