Bear hugs are a powerful antidote just about any time, but especially in stressful emergency situations. St. Louise School kindergarten supports this idea and the Bellevue Fire Department as their year-long service project.

To earn funds, kindergarteners do chores around the house that they later bring to school to augment their classroom’s total collection. They use this money each spring to buy teddy bears for the Fire Department’s “Teddy Bear Patrol.” Bears are distributed by the firefighters to comfort children in times of trauma.

Through the service program at St. Louise School, each grade level focuses on assisting an organization or program in the greater Bellevue area. Organizations are often selected for their close proximity to St. Louise in the Crossroads area because the students can then visit and have a hands-on experience giving service and seeing the impact and appreciation they can have helping others.

Graduates who began in kindergarten at St. Louise, will have had nine consecutive years of concentrated work into the numerous avenues through which support can be shared with others. The objective of the service program is that St. Louise students become aware and learn the lifelong lessons of being stewards of those less fortunate than themselves.

St. Louise School is a K-8 Catholic school which provides an education with a faith-based foundation. For more information about St. Louise School, visit www.stlouiseschool.org.