Bridging People and Places   

                                One Person at a Time

CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS

Double H Ranch

Each year, almost 800 "Bear Hugs" are given to campers at Double H Ranch www.doublehranch.org. The Ranch is one of Paul Newman’s residential camping programs for kids 6 to 16 years old with serious and life threatening illnesses.   A young camper said it all: “These bears are filled up with love and happiness.”  Our bears have become a tangible and huggable reminder of positive Double H memories for the campers; the bears travel to clinics, doctor's offices, and hospitals with the kids throughout the year.  They are a reminder of the wonderful time at camp, new friends, and the volunteers who filled the bears with special hugs and good wishes.

Rosie's Love

Rosie's Love provides emotional and financial support to children and their families when they receive a diagnosis of a life threatening illness and are undergoing treatment at the The Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at the Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center, www.rosieslove.com.

ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN

Each year we donate hundreds of bears to organizations serving abused and neglected children.  Each year the number grows.  Some of the organizations receiving our "Bear Hugs" for their clients include:   

Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Centers and Shelters provide counseling services and emergency shelters for women and children to escape violence and abuse in the home.  In the shelters, the bears are placed on the children’s beds to welcome them when they arrive.  In the words of Maggie Fronk, Executive Director of DVRC Services for Saratoga County, “Your ongoing support of our agency is so appreciated.  You are spreading joy, hope, and comfort to those in need.  In our shelters, the bears give the children something to hold tight and help them through a crisis.  Because the bear is something they can keep, it gives them a sense of home and security.” 

We provide "Bear Hugs" to several Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Centers and Shelters including those in the following 5 New York State Counties:

BEREAVEMENT PROGRAMS

We donate hundreds of "Bear Hugs" each year to bereavement support and counseling programs for children and adults.

Community Hospice

At the completion of each of the Hospice six-week programs, the bereavement counselor presents the "Bear Hug" as a memory of their loved one and a reminder of the grief work that has been done toward the process of healing.  For more information, www.communityhospice.org/services.cfm

Compassionate Friends

The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive, www.compassionatefriends.org.   We provide "Bear Hugs" for the siblings.
 

Cindy's Camp Comfort is a sleep-away weekend camp, run by Glens Falls Hospital, for children and teens 6 to 17 years who have experienced the death or serious illness of a parent or close relative, www.cindysretreat.org.

PROGRAMS SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS WITH CANCER

Organizations and programs receiving our "Bear Hugs" include: