Bears on Patrol,
a Carrollton, Georgia, nonprofit organization,
collects stuffed animals for police officers to give to children in crisis
situations. They are one of more than 900 cause-based organizations registered
on The Giving Effect
that are hoping to connect with new donors this holiday season.
Blake Raab, executive
director of Bears on Patrol, says, “We are very excited about working with The
Giving Effect. We have already received several shipments of teddy bears and
stuffed animals, all of which get distributed to local police departments for
use in domestic incidents involving kids.”
In addition to
stuffed animals, donors use The Giving Effect to connect with charities that
need pretty much everything you can spare, from clothes, food, books and shoes,
to cleaning supplies, cars, fencing and lumber.
“We are working
to create a greater awareness of people in need, which is especially urgent
during the holidays,” says Mitchell Silverman, co-founder of The Giving Effect.
“Each donation on our site becomes a living story that can be shared on
Facebook or Twitter to spread the holiday spirit, encouraging friends to follow
your lead.”
Organizations
registered on The Giving Effect include The American Cancer Society Discovery
Shop, in Napa, California,
Baltimore Theatre Project in Maryland, and
Pibbles & More Animal Rescue in Queens,
New York.
Donating is easy
– browse the site by needs, location and categories to find causes you’d like
to connect with. Then, complete a simple form to arrange a pickup, drop off, or
shipment. Tax receipts are issued via email when the items are received.
The Giving Effect uses social media to help donors discover and connect with organizations that
need items such as clothes, shoes and food. It’s the first website to create
stories around each in-kind donation that can be easily shared online to
inspire others to give. The goal is to create a national movement to get food,
gently used items and more to people in need. The Giving Effect is
headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.
Bears on Patrol
provides free teddy bears for police officers to use in any situation where
small children are involved. Psychological studies have proven that stuffed
animals have a significant calming effect on children in stressful or traumatic
circumstances. Bears on Patrol currently supports 24 police departments in 19
states, and is quickly growing to include more.
