Project
Smile is a federally tax exempt non-profit organization
which donates new and previously owned stuffed animals, coloring
books/crayons, small toys and children's reading books for police
officers, fire fighters and paramedics to give to children. The goal
of Project Smile is to provide all emergency responders throughout New
England and eventually throughout the nation, with a continual supply
of comfort items to help ease the pain and fear of traumatized
children.
Very few police officers or firefighters
have anything to give to a child. Please help PROJECT SMILE reach its
goal of collecting enough stuffed animals for every emergency
responder in New England to always have one to give to a hurting
child.
Why do the police, fire fighters and
paramedics need stuffed animals? They give them to children who are
• Accident Victims
• Crime Victims
•
Witnesses to a Crime
• Experiencing Traumatic Event
• Coping
with Loss
• Sick and/or Injured
Project Smile
maintains a reserve supply of stuffed animals for use after large scale
disasters. Within days of Hurricane Katrina, Project Smile partnered
with Paul Davis Restoration and had 3,700 stuffed animals driven
directly to the Houston Astrodome for the thousands of children staying
there who had lost all of their belongings in that horrific storm. In
November 2007, in response to the devastating California wildfires,
Project Smile shipped approximately 500 stuffed animals to Southern
California to help the many children who lost their homes and most of
their possessions.
Project Smile also works with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (formerly Department of Social Services) to provide stuffed animals for children entering foster care in the Commonwealth. There are currently 8,000 children in Massachusetts in foster care each year, most of whom enter foster care with few, if any, personal possessions. A gift of a stuffed animal offers these children, who have been involved in very painful circumstances, a source of comfort.
Project
Smile has recently launched the
Operation Elder Care program which provides elderly patients
who are transitioning to life in a nursing home with a gift of a stuffed
animal. The stuffed animals are designed to ease some of the trauma that
the elderly experience when they are making that incredibly difficult
transition to life in a nursing home. The gift of a stuffed animal at
such a time not only provides a soft item that can be held, but is also
a tangible gesture of warmth and compassion, both of which are greatly
needed.
For more information on
how you can help, feel free to contact Catherine Pisacane via email at
Recent Press:
The Boston Celtics have honored Project
Smile and the organization's founder and executive director Catherine
Pisacane, as a "Hero Among Us." During the Celtics’ November 10,
2006 game, Ms. Pisacane was honored for her initiative to make a
difference and for her dedication to helping youth in their time of
need. Established in 1997, the Heroes Among Us program honors those
individuals who have made an overwhelming impact in the lives of others
and lasting contributions to our community. At each home game, the
Celtics and their fans have saluted the exemplary efforts of these
citizens during a special in-game presentation on the team’s legendary
parquet floor. To date, over 387 individuals have received the “Heroes
Among Us” award.
Project Smile has been featured in
newspapers and on television and radio broadcasts throughout New England
Including:
- NBC affiliates in Springfield, MA,
Providence, RI and Hartford, CT
- CBS affiliates in Providence, RI and
Hartford, CT
- ABC Affiliate in New Haven, CT
