School Stuffed With Toys Betty Keifer Students Give Generously For Neglected, Abused Children

Thanks to the students at Betty Keifer Elementary School, 300 children will have a slightly less traumatic time talking to social workers about being abused or neglected.

Social workers at the Department of Health and Welfare in Coeur d’Alene give children stuffed animals after interviewing them to assess whether they’re in risky situations. The social workers use the stuffed animals as a kind of spoonful of sugar to follow an emotional experience.

“Their faces really just light up and they say, ‘Really? Can I take it home?”’ social worker Marilyn Nielson said.

“For some of them, I’d imagine that will probably be the only stuffed animal they have,” said Fred Adams, a client services technician for the Department of Health and Welfare.

Betty Keifer students bought new stuffed animals and plundered their closets and toy boxes for used ones. Students gave the toys to welfare workers Monday at the school.

“I brung a bear because kids needed ‘em,” said 6-year-old Aaron Clapper.

He admitted he hopes his philanthropic efforts won’t go unnoticed by Santa Claus this Christmas.

Jessica Bryan, 11, said her mother urged her to participate in the stuffed-animal drive.

“She loves Christmas and I do, too, and so we just brang them for everybody who loves Christmas,” she said.

Along with the students, Cleanco Cleaners in Coeur d’Alene got into the season’s spirit and volunteered to wash the 250 used animals the children donated. Another 50 new animals were donated.

According to at least one boy, the animals make a difference.

Five years ago, the boy, now 12, had to talk to Nielson about being abused. After interviewing him, Nielson gave him a stuffed animal.

“I still have him. I kept him by my side,” the boy said.

Nielson interviews as many as 20 children a month. The animals go not only to children she interviews, but also to their siblings.

And helping children is the reason Nielson was so excited by the results of the stuffed-animal drive.

“I can’t believe this, Gena,” she said to Gena Kiel, the mother of two Betty Keifer students and coordinator of the drive. “This is so wonderful.”

Kiel herself admits to being startled by the drive’s success.

“I was hoping for 100 or 200 at the most and we received 300,” she said.

The impetus for starting the project came from her sons, who wanted to do something charitable for the season and from serving on a citizen advisory board for the Department of Health and Welfare.

“I knew of this project that she (Nielson) did and I knew she didn’t have any funding for it,” Kiel said. “The kids will have a real sense that they gave something important to another kid.”

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