Teddy bears have magic. That was the message delivered by the Chandler Crisis Response Team to Valley Bloom members, who donate specially designed bears to the team each year for children in crisis.
“A 7-year-old girl was almost catatonic when we got there,” said Josh Saunders, a Response Team volunteer who knelt beside the girl after she experienced a family death. “The moment we gave her the bear, there was an immediate sense of comfort.”
The Crisis Response Team made a presentation to thank Valley Bloom for providing 85 percent of their supplies over the years, from baby formula and blankets to snacks, hygiene supplies, and clothing. Last year, the organization gave them 96 bears with a Chandler Fire logo T-shirt, and this month, they have ordered 150 more. They keep the team’s van stocked by delivering additional supplies each month.
“The impact you have is so profound; I can’t begin to say how much we appreciate your partnership with us,” said Kanika Henry, senior crisis intervention specialist. “Your supplies are so important. People who have a house fire may run out of their house barefoot, barely clothed. Your teddy bears alone have provided comfort to so many children.”
The main calls answered by the team are grief and death-related, she says. Others are victim-based, from traffic accidents to domestic violence. There are assaults, structure fires, and medical emergencies.
Valley Bloom provides “care kits” to nine agencies in the East Valley, serving 4,000 people in crisis each year. The Chandler Medical Center emergency room personnel look forward to a monthly delivery of clothing, including sweatshirts, pants, underwear, and flip-flops. Assault victims must leave their clothing at the hospital for evidence purposes.
The organization, formerly called Assistance League of East Valley, provided new school clothing and uniforms to 7,670 school children in the East Valley last year, as well as assistance to homeless teens and the elderly, 12 college scholarships, and financial assistance for foster teens living at East Valley Institute of Technology.
Funds are raised by the Valley Bloom Thrift Shop, which carries boutique fashions, sportswear, books, household items, toys, children’s clothing, and tools. The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. It is located at 2326 N. Alma School, Chandler.