community
june6
2019
9
Teddy Bear Donation Will Help Children in Crisis
On Friday, May 17, Georgiana
Gordon and Margaret Trenchard-Smith
of the Columbia County Coalition for
Human Dignity (CCCHD) met with Of-
ficer Mikael Walter of the Vernonia Po-
lice Department. Officer Walter received
a donation of about three dozen teddy
bears and other stuffed animals to place
in VPD patrol vehicles to have on hand
for children in crisis.
When an officer responds to an
accident, fire, domestic dispute, or other
traumatic situation involving children,
the officer will now have a plush little
friend to give to a child to help provide
comfort and caring. Officer Walter hap-
pily accepted charge of this new menagerie telling Gor-
don and Trenchard-Smith that, to his knowledge, VPD
has never had teddy bears to give to children in crisis.
He was quite enthusiastic about having the bears avail-
able in his patrol unit.
“I have a background in law enforcement and
have seen this kind of community support for the chil-
dren in crisis met by police officers,” said Gordon.
“Providing a plush friend to a child who has just been
in an accident, a house fire, a case of domestic discord,
or otherwise traumatized, can provide comfort and as-
surance on a level, we as adults rarely consider. The
Columbia County Coalition for Human Dignity was
seeking a community project that would assist some of
the less fortunate, and more rural members of our com-
munity. We landed on this idea, and it actually made
each one of us smile.”
The Officer Buddy Bear Program has been
in action nationwide for decades, but rarely extends
to rural communities like those in Columbia County,
explains Gordon. “We felt it was important to make
sure children in our community who are in crisis would
have access to the comfort a bear would provide.”
Columbia County Coalition for Human Dig-
nity is a large community organization with about 200
members. They put the word out on social media that
we were collecting bears, and the bears just started
coming in! “One woman donated about 40 bears that
she had collected during the course of cleaning va-
cated apartments,” said Gordon. “The bears were
new, some still with price tags attached. We ended up
collecting around 100 bears. Each bear was inspect-
ed, and wrapped to keep them clean until the officer
needs them.”
Gordon said they would like to see the project
continue annually.
Where Do You
Read The Voice?
Oaklynn Rosenstiel caught up on
the local news in the Voice while
getting her hair done at the Wild
Child Salon in Vernonia.
Mariolino’s
Pizza & Grill
Open for
breakfast, lunch & dinner
Daily Specials
We have ice cream!
Cones-Shakes-Sundaes
Serving Vernonia since 1970
Vernonia Boosters
Charity Golf
Tournament
Saturday, June 8, 10 am
721 Madison Avenue, Vernonia
(503) 429-5018
Prime Rib
& Full Dinner Menu
Chef Chris Cameron
4 person Teams
18 hole Shotgun
Scramble
Call to
Register
Every Friday & Saturday
Reservations Recommended
Vernonia Golf Club • 15961 Timber Rd • (503) 429-6811
The Postal Letter Carriers
Food Drive on May 11
yielded 321 pounds of
food for Vernonia Cares.
Pictured is Vernonia
Postmaster Melissa
Kinney-Takata and
Vernonia Cares President
Tina Brewington.