It is difficult for many people to imagine the terror of riding in an ambulance, of feeling sick or in pain, of not knowing the destination, being poked and prodded, and surrounded by frightening and unfamiliar machines. The teddy bear buddies program began as a tool to ease the fears of children in low-income areas by providing them with a representation of safety and comfort and familiarity in the ambulance ride to the hospital.

A few years, and over 6,000 teddy bears later, the teddy bear program has grown from an out-pour of donor support and now the bears are being supplied to children in domestic violence shelters, children being taken away from their families by social service workers or police, children standing in soup kitchen lines and to children in many other scary situations.