There are 500 teddy bears residing in the basement of Gabrielle Moore’s Lawrenceville home.
Though she has a strong affection for the stuffed furry creatures, Moore, 17, hopes each bear will find a new home with children in need of comfort.
Last year on her 16th birthday, Moore founded Bears for Babies, a program that provides teddy bears to children who have lost a parent. Inspired by her own experience — Moore’s father died in 2000 — the freshman at Spelman College has already paired 200 personalized bears with young owners.
She hopes to expand her efforts into a nonprofit that helps children understand and cope with grief.
“Teddy bears are a traditional companion for a little kid,” said Moore, an AJC Holiday Hero. “They are warm and cozy and they make you feel more relaxed.”
Not long after Moore’s father died by suicide, her mother, Yolanda Watson Spiva, presented her then 5-year-old daughter with a teddy bear. Moore named the bow-tie-wearing bear Carlton, after her father.
“When I was younger, I used to sleep with him and sometimes I would carry him to my grandma’s house,” Moore said. As she got older, she stopped carrying the bear around, but always kept him near.
“I wanted from the outset to give her something she could lean on and something that would be tangible to her,” Spiva said.
“At the time, I thought a stuffed animal would be a great reminder of her father because I wanted his memory and legacy to live.”
The gesture inspired Moore years later as a student at Atlanta Girls’ School. During her junior year, Moore decided to present personalized bears to children who suffered the loss of a parent. First she thought she would focus on children who lost a parent to suicide, but as she learned more about the circumstances surrounding her father’s death, she decided to broaden her focus.
“I remembered first responders coming to the house,” Moore said. “I remember chaos and being on the way to the hospital and following the ambulance.” Moore decided she would include children 5 and younger of fallen military and first responders.
Via word of mouth, Moore generated a list of 90 children in a five-county region. She wrote letters, but responses were slow.
“I guess it kind of weirded them out,” Moore said. For each hesitant reply, Moore would meet one on one with a child and give each a teddy bear wearing a tag with the name of the deceased parent.
This summer, an activity with Kate’s Club — an organization that empowers children and teens facing life after the death of a parent or sibling — helped her reach a larger audience. During the organization’s summer camp, Moore, an alumna of the group, spearheaded an activity in which older club members partnered with younger ones to personalize bears while sharing their stories.
“It was a beautifully intended activity to help the little kids talk more openly about their loved ones and have the older kids lead by example,” said Debra Brook, program manager for Kate’s Club. “[Gabrielle] has a real passion for doing the right thing. She really wants to help.”
While pursuing degrees in psychology neuroscience and Spanish, Moore said she intends to expand Bears for Babies into a true nonprofit by soliciting corporate donors and formalizing her process. She would ultimately like to create an organization that will help children 10 and younger learn how to deal with grief.
“It has been going really well and I hope to expand it even more as I get older,” Moore said. “People just in general might need the hug of a bear.”
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Gabrielle Moore is one of 14 Holiday Heroes nominated by AJC readers for making a difference in their community. Read their inspiring stories every day until Dec. 31.
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To donate
If you are interested in donating to Bears for Babies, call 770-579-3164 or send an email to bears4babies@gmail.com for information on future drop-box locations.
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