Quota Bears Break Barriers

The Quota club of Opotiki, New Zealand, supports local ambulance workers with Quota bears.

The club makes sure the St. John Ambulance Service has a healthy supply of bears on hand to calm children during crises. But rescue workers say the bears are equally helpful in soothing stressed parents.

The ambulance crews treat the bears as if they have injuries identical to those of the children they are treating. While bandaging the bears eases the children's fears, "the bears seem to break down the barrier for a frightened parent," the ambulance service says, allowing parents and caregivers to move past their own fears and reassure the children.

For more about Quota Cares bears, click here.
For another story of Quota caring in New Zealand, click here.