From March 9 through the 13, Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ Florida Future Educators of America club ran the Share Bear Donation Drive, a schoolwide collection of stuffed animals that will be given to children in traumatic or emotional situations.

MSD students were encouraged to donate new or lightly used stuffed animals to their personalization teachers allowing FFEA to have collected over 100 stuffed animals by the end of the drive, exceeding their original goal of 100 stuffed animals. Students received three service hours for donating a stuffed animal.

“This was an easy and great way to receive service hours, and I’m glad my donation will be going towards helping others,” sophomore Ella Yaipen said. 

The donations were organized and delivered by FFEA to Stuffed Animals for Emergencies organization, or S.A.F.E. This organization is a non-profit that gives stuffed animals, blankets, clothes and baby items to children in need across the United States. 

“S.A.F.E is an organization we’ve been really happy to work with, and we appreciate what they are trying to do for children that need help,” senior FFEA member O’kayhvia Ferguson said. 

The S.A.F.E organization will clean the donated stuffed animals and deliver them to local police officers, firefighters, schools and hospitals so they can be given to children they encounter that are in difficult situations mentally or physically.

“This drive is important to me because after going through a traumatic experience myself, I know little things like this can make a difference,” senior  FFEA member Hailey Carpenter said. 

FFEA is a club at MSD that involves themselves in service projects in the community and trains themselves on how to become future educators. They meet every Monday in language arts teacher Felicia Burgin’s room, in portable C9. 

FFEA will be turning in a project evaluation for this drive to the Broward County FFEA county competition and will receive a trophy if they win the fundraiser competition.