Hug a Child in a Crisis
The Hug-A-Bear Program was established several years ago to bring comfort to Native American children who are in a traumatic situation. CIN's staff gives new teddy bears and other stuffed animals to police officers, fire fighters, and Emergency Medical Technicians on reservations. The "Hug-A-Bears" are then distributed to children who have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event. Reservation police departments especially like the Hug-A-Bear Program because it helps them build a positive image in their communities. The program enables the police to establish a more trusting relationship with the children and their parents. One officer told us he keeps a big teddy bear in the back seat of his police car, safely buckled, of course! The bear is a great icebreaker with kids of all ages.