Morgan County Sheriff’s Office to collect stuffed animals for children
By Connor Loyd
July 15, a local nonprofit, Kids Future Worth, will be collecting teddy bears and other stuffed animals for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit. Taking place between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the toys will be used to comfort children that have been victims of these types of crimes as well as other traumatic events.
“The stuffed animals will come in handy when investigators and deputies respond to wrecks, Domestic Violence calls or other serious incidents where children may be involved or present,” explained Mike Swafford, Public Information Officer for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office. “These events can be very upsetting to a child and a stuffed animal can start to help them calm down or have a little sense of peace.”
Co-founded earlier this year by Greg Woodall, Kids Future Worth is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping underprivileged kids. The upcoming toy drive will be their very first event as an organization. KFW has also recently created a GoFundMe page aiming to raise $3,000 to help supply new clothes to at least 20 underprivileged kids for the upcoming school year.
Already donations have begun pouring in, even a week before the drive itself is set to take place. Last Saturday, KFW received a call from a woman who would be unable to make it to the drive but still wished to contribute; when they went to pick up the bears, they realized that she had sewn the 25 teddy bears with her own hands, hoping the homemade bears would find their way to loving children across the Morgan County area.
The drive will take place outside the Old Navy in Decatur (1241 Point Mallard Pkwy.) Those wishing to donate can also drop their toys off at the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office (119 Lee St NE). Additionally, the KFW team are set up on Venmo, Cash App and PayPal for those who would like to donate money to the drive instead of toys.
This event is far from the only way that those looking to help can assist children in need. “There are numerous groups that help support children in our area,” Swafford noted. “If someone has a heart for helping children, we encourage them to find a group and get plugged in with them. There is always a need somewhere across the county.”
These could include but are not limited to the MCSO annual food drive, the annual Morgan County Schools Foundation school supply drive, this Saturday’s Hartselle Serve Day, and the P.A.C.T Touch-A-Truck event.
