Lafayette group donates bears for troubled kids

For children who have lost everything in a house fire or are removed from their parents' care because of neglect and abuse, a simple gesture, such as being offered a stuffed animal or a blanket, can bring comfort.

That's the idea behind an ongoing project by the American Sewing Guild's Lafayette neighborhood group, which for the past year has created outfits for and dressed toy bears that will be donated to the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies will hand out the bears to children who are involved in traumatic situations.

"If there's a situation where they have to move from their home or are in a fire, this gives them something to hold onto," local sewing guild member Betsey Cederquist told the Journal & Courier.

The concept came to her last year, after she bought 24 foot-tall jointed bears at a garage sale. Cederquist then bought 36 more at another garage sale hosted by the same family.

About half of the bears — each is dressed in distinct, handmade sweaters, dresses and other outfits for young girls and boys — are complete.

"We tried to create something so they're all a little bit unique," Cederquist said of the sewing guild's members, eight of whom have helped with the project.

Her husband, Tippecanoe County commissioners assistant Frank Cederquist, helped the sewing guild get in touch with Sheriff Tracy Brown.

"These are kids who might be going through the worst times of their lives — house fires, domestic abuse, parents are victims of a crime or they're a victim of a crime," Brown said. "This will give them something they can relate to or be comforted by.

"It serves as an icebreaker, too. ... We've had items like this donated off and on for the past 10 years, and we're always grateful."

Deputies will keep the bears in their vehicles.

Cederquist said the distributed bears will be for children to keep.