Councilman Gilman, Pittsburgh Police collect teddy bears for children in crisis

Pittsburgh’s first responders are arming their arsenals with a new way to respond to crises—and the cuddlier, fuzzier, softer and more huggable these secret weapons are, the better.

From now through April 30, collection bins across the city will accept donations of stuffed animals. First responders will store these “lovees” in the back of police cruisers and inside other emergency response vehicles to give to children affected by trauma.

The initiative, spearheaded by City Councilman Dan Gilman in cooperation with the Pittsburgh Police, might just make the worst day of a child’s life a little bit more manageable.

“You think about a domestic situation or police pulling over a car and a parent being taken to jail, the child being separated, a fire, anything like that—it’s really traumatic,” Gilman says. “This isn’t going to completely make up for the situation, but it is a really nice comforting, calming solution.”

Gilman says the idea came to him from seeing it modeled on television and in movies. Turns out, he was not alone in thinking this would be an important initiative.

“We’ve had incidents in the past where officers have expressed the desire to have something to comfort children who are scared, afraid or confused,” says Emily Schaffer, assistant public information officer for the City of Pittsburgh. “We hope that this teddy bear drive fills that void and provides a positive connection between our officers and the community.”

At first, Gilman thought the effort would be a good way for folks to purge the stuffed animals their children and grandchildren had outgrown, but public hygiene concerns require the donations to be newly purchased, complete with original tags and packaging. They should also be no larger than 12 inches long and should be donated inside a plastic bag.

“Our hope is that we get enough that every police car can have several in the trunk. That’s the ultimate goal,” Gilman said.

Donation drop-off boxes are located at all six Police Zone buildings, the lobby of the Pittsburgh City Council, offices on the City-County Building’s 5^th floor, and the Jewish Community Centers in Squirrel Hill and the South Hills. Any plush critter meeting the criteria is welcome.

“This is a great opportunity for the Police Bureau to partner with the community to make a difference,” said Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay in a press release. “These stuffed animals will help the children in our community know that the community cares, and that Pittsburgh Police are here to help them.”

The Pennsylvania Moose Association made an immediate pledge to donate 100 Tommy Moose stuffed animals. Gilman noted that it’s nice to consider toy donations at times other than the holidays—children are in need year-round.