Pals on Patrol is a new charity project that aims to provide comfort to children in times of crisis. It needs stuffed animals to do so and you can help.
Pals on Patrol was launched on September 11th 2015. It was founded by Megan Leahy who is the oldest daughter of a police officer and a nurse. She grew up in a home that was dedicated to help others.
“Throughout her childhood and for the majority of her adult life Megan has strived to follow in her parents’ footsteps and be a role model for her two children by helping those in need in any way she can”, the official Pals on Patrol site writes. After a short, yet satisfying, career in law enforcement Megan relocated to the Indianapolis area with her family in 2008.
It did not take long for her to dive in head first and volunteer within her community. She has been very active as a Girl Scouts troop leader and school organizer, a volunteer at a local home for teenage mothers, the Security Director for a local children’s consignment sale and many other.
The idea of Pals on Patrol (P.o.P.) started when Megan began to wonder what she could do with all of the unused, but not unwanted, stuffed animals in her home. Thinking about all of the different, traumatic situations children are facing these days and focusing on her law enforcement background P.o.P. was born.
Studies have shown that having and holding a stuffed animal during a time of crisis can reduce anxiety and soothe those involved. Pals on Patrol is a non-profit organization that collects new and gently used stuffed animals to donate to local police, fire, and state agencies for police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and Department of Child Services to give to children in traumatic events.
This is where you come in. The goal of Pals on Patrol is to have at least one stuffed animal in every emergency vehicle in Indiana and, eventually, surrounding states. So donations of stuffed animals are more than welcome. Head on over to the official site of Pals on Patrol to find out what stuffed animals are needed and how you can get them to the organization.
