Baker recognized the therapeutic power of teddy bears in his practice as clinical coordinator of the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, where he worked until his retirement.
Since then, he and Moran continue to spread those healing powers. Since 1995, Operation TeddyCare has distributed more than 30,000 teddy bears donated by local citizens to counselors, police, firefighters and other emergency workers. They, in turn, present the bears to children affected by conflicts, war, violence, abuse, neglect, natural disasters, accidents or life-threatening illness.
The effort has moved into high gear during crises, beginning in 1995 when Operation TeddyCare sent teddy bears to children in Kobe, Japan, after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake left almost 5,500 people dead. Since then, Operation TeddyCare has donated teddy bears for children affected by the Oklahoma City bombing, the World Trade Center attacks, and most recently, Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Moran said she's even heard from service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, asking if there was a way to get teddy bears for the local children.
"I guess you could say we've become the Red Cross of teddy bears," she said.
To contribute, send teddy bears or checks to: Operation TeddyCare, Suite Q, 80 N. Cabrillo Highway, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. Designate contributions "For military kids." For more information about the program, visit http://teddycare.coastside.net.
