Trinity Lutheran Church
Kutztown, PA

Contact: Debbie Kulp

Trinity Lutheran Church in Kutztown has started a “Hugs Across America” chapter. Hugs is a non-profit organization that comforts children in crisis through the hugs of teddy bears and messages of loving care. New stuffed animals are supplied to children through first response agencies that work directly with children in crisis. These may include: American Red Cross, fire departments, emergency rooms, grief counseling centers, police departments, and the list can go on and on. Anytime a child is in a traumatic situation, Hugs Across America can be there. To date, Hugs has provided over 450,000 teddy bears to victims in traumatic circumstances.

The youth at Trinity Lutheran have been collecting new stuffed animals to donate to the Kutztown Fire Company for their chapter. The children are hoping that we will be able to collect enough animals that they will be able to supply the Kutztown Ambulance as well as have bears in reserve. We are hoping that this project will become an on-going one for years to come. For this reason, if anyone in the community would like to help and donate a new stuffed animal to our chapter please bring it to Trinity Lutheran Church located at 357 W. Main St in Kutztown. The stuffed animals need to be new for the sole reason because we do not know who will be receiving the animals. They may be children who are very sick or have special allergies.

As the children collect stuffed animals each one is given its own special tag that contains a small note of love and caring written out by the children themselves.

On Sunday September 13, 2009, the Sunday school children presented their first batch of animals to the Kutztown Fire Department. The firemen explained to the classes how much these animal will mean to some young boy or girl who has just been through something terrible like an auto accident or a fire in their home.

We have also donated over 50 stuffed animals to Camp Noah in Utah this summer.