Sisters Kamilah and Kiana share a hug with Tuck, a cuddly teddy bear who helped launch the #sharethebear campaign. | Photo: Reba Saldanha
As the holiday season approaches, a special energy fills the air with people looking forward to sharing holiday joy with family and friends. Images of excited children being tucked in bed, tossing and turning with anticipation, make us smile as we imagine their sugar plum-filled dreams. Yet, for the one in seven children living in poverty in Massachusetts, dreams are not always filled with sugar plums.
As hard as it is to imagine, some of the children living here on the North Shore do not have a bed of their own. In 2011, advocates from the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless (whose headquarters is located on the Lynnway) learned that many students in local public schools were not getting a good night’s sleep because they did not have their own bed to sleep in at night. The Coalition took action and launched A Bed for Every Child.
The inspiring tale, written by Stacey Marcus and illustrated by students from eight local schools, will be released in early 2017. Every book purchase supports Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless’ A Bed for Every Child initiative.
“Since we launched the program we have distributed over 3,600 new twin beds to children living in poverty in the Commonwealth,” said Robyn Frost, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. “Unfortunately, the need for beds has outpaced our ability to raise the critically needed funding for this program to expand. With the holiday season right around the corner, A Bed for Every Child created the 250 Beds for 250 Kids by Christmas Campaign.”
As part of the campaign to raise awareness, the Coalition unveiled its mascot Tuck, a cuddly Vermont teddy bear who launched his own #sharethebear campaign and will be touring the Commonwealth through appearances and pop-up events over the next year. The Coalition will be launching a book entitled “A Bed for Every Bear: Tuck’s Tale” in early 2017. The enchanting story was illustrated by students from eight schools—one of which was the Cobbet School in Lynn.
Frost notes that the 250 Beds for 250 Children by Christmas is the first milestone in a larger campaign to raise money for 1,500 beds over the next year. The cost of each bed is $250. For every donation of $250 and above, donors will receive a Tuck teddy bear or they can elect to give it to a child who is receiving a bed from the initiative.
The Coalition will be launching a book entitled “A Bed for Every Bear: Tuck’s Tale” in early 2017. The enchanting story was illustrated by students from eight schools—one of which was the Cobbet School in Lynn. Frost notes that the 250 Beds for 250 Children by Christmas is the first milestone in a larger campaign to raise money for 1,500 beds over the next year. The cost of each bed is $250. For every donation of $250 and above, donors will receive a Tuck teddy bear or they can elect to give it to a child who is receiving a bed from the initiative. “We’re looking for individuals and businesses to help us reach our goal. This holiday season, help children make their dreams come true by giving them a bed of their very own,” says Frost. Visit abedforeverychild.org to learn how you can help.
