Sometimes the most meaningful gifts come from the smallest sources with the biggest hearts.
Case in point: the members of the first-grade Sunday School class at Carterville Baptist Church in Petal, who recently spent a month collecting 154 stuffed animals for the Petal Police Department, Petal Fire Department and Forrest County Sheriff’s Office for the purpose of giving the toys to children experiencing tough times.
“The girls wanted to do something for other children, and this was something that even at a young age they could be involved in,” said Sunday School teacher Lori Barner, who supervised the initiative with co-teacher Sylvia Truitt. “And this is their words – not mine – they know how it is to be upset, and when they’re upset, they want something to love on.
“And they thought that other children, if they were in a stressful situation, that they might need that, too.”
To get the “Teddy Bear Roundup” going, flyers were sent to all the members of the church’s Sunday School, at which point church members and individuals from outside the church pitched in to contribute stuffed animals. The toys were then distributed among the policemen, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies, who give them out on calls in which children are involved.
Each stuffed animal has a bow around its neck, along with a tag reading “Jesus Loves You.”
“It’s fantastic,” Barner said. “These young ladies have such giving hearts, and they were so excited to be able to do this.
“It was something that they really had a good time doing, and were proud to do themselves, to give back and make sure that other children have the same thing that they do.”
Miranda Williams, administrative assistant at Petal Police Department, said the stuffed animals are much appreciated by the officers.
“When anybody donates to the community, especially when you’re looking out for other children in the community, (it’s great),” she said. “You never know what the children have seen – they’re frightened, they’re scared, and sometimes a stuffed animal will help them calm down.
“The fire department gives them out on car wrecks, and we give them out on domestics and medical calls – pretty much any time where a child has seen something scary.”
