This impact story comes to us from our Coordinator Linda Hatcher who oversees the Rome, Georgia campaign!
When I began as the Coordinator for our local campaign, we received some beautiful handmade bears from a young teenager name Nina. Nina has continued to create these handmade bears for each year that I have been involved with the local campaign. I spoke to Nina, who is now a young adult and asked if she would share her story. She readily agreed, so her story is provided below:
‘Nina’s Share-A-Bear began as an idea to raise money to purchase stuffed bears to share with sick kids so they would have something to hug while going through their illness. This evolved into making handmade bears. With the support and help of my parents my grandparents and other family friends (Cindy, Alice, Mary, Dawn, and many more), I started Nina’s Share-A-Bear in April of 2013 when I was a freshman in high school. For every bear that I make and sell, I make and donate a second bear (You buy a bear – I give a bear). Since 2013, I have had the privilege of donating over 3,000 bears to a variety of hospitals and organizations that work with kids. I started donating to Toys for Tots in November of 2014. Since then, I have donated 390 bears ($11,700 value).’
Nina is an amazing young lady who has given so much to our campaign. We are so grateful for her caring spirit and generosity to support local children!
