Joyce Farrar-Rosemon said she hopes her teddy bears will help to alleviate the plight of children in traumatic circumstances.

“I wanted to make these bears because I thought it would be a good psychological tool for kids,” she said. “The bears use music therapy, visualization and affirmation to let them know they have a purpose, they have hope, so they don’t go through life with this big blockage in their heart that gets in the way of them being able to feel hope, that they are valued and have a purpose in life.”

Farrar-Rosemon, of McDonough, is the chief executive officer of Squeeze The Hope Teddy Bears, and the organizer of the Ladies at the Retreat at Westridge sewing group. She and her volunteers are donating handmade therapy bears to children in Ukraine, as well as those affected by the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Farrar-Rosemon retired as a therapist in 2018. She founded Squeeze the Hope Teddy Bears in April, in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“They are made of cotton material,” she said. “They have big eyes. They look like a typical teddy bear.”

Farrar-Rosemon said she came up with the idea for the bears after watching reports of the conflict in Ukraine, and feeling a sense of “hopelessness” on behalf of children there.

“What, as a parent, do you tell these kids in terms of their values, that mankind allowed this to happen and that one group of adults decided that this would happen?” she said. “As a retired therapist and educator, I know what these kids will face.”
Farrar-Rosemon said the bears, when squeezed, feature “comforting music, visualization techniques, and messages to relieve and support individuals on their journey toward wholeness and success.”

She said she drew from her experiences with traumatized children, to know what they need. For the children in Ukraine, the bears feature yellow and blue as a reminder of their homeland, said Farrar-Rosemon.

The bears, she said, provide a more effective way to reach them and comfort them in the midst of their circumstances. Such kids, she said, need more than just “talking therapy” in order to cope with traumatic circumstances.

“You have a group of people that are being killed,” she said. “Call it what it is – it’s genocide, and the kids are caught up in it. How do you explain that to a child?”

Currently, options include Deborah the Inspirational Bear and David the Courageous Bear, with music and a message of hope in English, Spanish or Ukrainian. Farrar-Rosemon said the collection will add Ruth the Success Bear in the near future.

Her group recently sent 12 bears to kids in Uvalde, and will send 22 bears to Ukrainian children in the coming days. Farrar-Rosemon said she is exploring the possibility of sending the latter bears through a missionary in Moldova.

The kids in Uvalde will receive bears with cartoon characters and other attractive patterns, said Farrar-Rosemon.
“The Uvalde bears are ready to go,” said Farrar-Rosemon. “We have a contact at a bereavement center in Texas.”

Helen Garland of McDonough lives in the Retreat at Westridge and is among those who have helped to create the bears. She said she loves children and wanted to send them a positive spiritual message.

“I always like to work with children,” said Garland. “These bears, they talk in their language and tell them that Jesus loves them. I wanted to put some joy in their lives. It’s important to let them know that people care about them, in addition to the ones that they’re with.

“It was a joy to be involved with it,” continued Garland. “When we lose somebody, we miss their presence, their love, their wisdom and their encouragement. That’s what we wanted them to have – to know that we love them and they would feel His love, His encouragement and His presence.”

Farrar-Rosemon added that her group is awaiting an opportunity to send bears to Ukraine. She is also open to sending them out to other areas in the future as needs arise.

“The way this world is going, I will continue to respond to crises when the bears can help kids and parents,” she said. “My goal for the bears is that they would be like a therapeutic Barbie doll – something that has psychological, emotional, healing value that they can identify with.”

For more information about Squeeze the Hope Teddy Bears, e-mail joycerosemon@gmail.com.