Children can be traumatized by quite a lot of things. One thing can always help them feel better: a stuffed animal. A 9-year-old girl knows it and donates stuffies to other kids in need.
Julianna Gouthiere is a fourth-grade student at A.C. Steere Elementary in Caddo Parish, Shreveporttimes reports. She has set up a charity called Bear Share.
Julianna collects and accepts donations of stuffed animals. Then she takes them to the local agencies which provide them to children in need.
One of those kids is 3-year-old Jeremiah Clark. He was very scared and traumatized from the tornado last year in Caddo Parish. “When the tornado hit in December, a lot of of organizations came through with donations and Macaroni Kid Shreveport- Bossier brought stuffed animals out here,” Griffin said. “When I gave my son his stuffed animal — he started talking.” This is thanks to Julianna’s Bear Share.
She created Bear Share in 2013 to “Geaux Show Love” to children in hard life situations, ranging from newborns in the neonatal intensive-care unit to older children. Juliana regularly gets big donations.
Just this past Christmas Lifeway Christian Store on Youree gave her 1500 stuffed animals to donate. Each Christmas, the store asks patrons if they want to buy a bear for $5, which will then be donated to Bear Share.
Bear share accepts all types of stuffed animals. They have to be new or like new. Toys are then inspected, washed and if needed, small repairs are done.
So far Bear Share has donated more than 10 000 stuffed animals to local agencies including the Shreveport Fire Department, Philadelphia Center, Gingerbread House, Shriner’s Hospital for Children and many more. Bear Share has expanded to three other states including Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Julianna Gouthiere wishes she could give stuffed animals to victims’ and their families in Orlando.
Finally, to donate new or like new stuffed animals, call (318) 820-0295 or email juliannasbearshare@yahoo.com. To donate financially to Bear Share: https://www.gofundme.com/22uwugra
