A community service project launched earlier this year by the Bossier Parish Community College Student Nurses Association has led to the collection of over 500 stuffed animals.  

Today, those toys were delivered to the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office and area police and fire departments.  They'll be used to comfort frightened children in times of crisis.

Back in February, the nursing students launched an on-campus project that they called their "Tuff Stuff" Toy Drive.  Collection boxes were placed on the first floor of each building on the BPCC campus.  Their goal of collecting 500 stuffed toys was reached in the first two weeks, but the toys just kept coming.  Now those toys have been distributed to the public service agencies that will use them to help calm frightened children during situations like domestic violence calls, house fires, traffic accidents, or even deaths.

Perhaps Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington said it best when he said, "When a uniformed law enforcement officer leans down to a three-year-old girl in a crisis situation and hands her a teddy bear, there's a real calming effect."

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