Elizabeth Driggers and C4K comforts kids in crisis

Comfort For Kids, or C4K, delivered a large consignment of stuffed animals to area first responders on April 17, at the North Hays Fire/Rescue Station on Sportsplex. The animals are to be given out by first responders to children when performing their duties.

A crisis situation can happen to any child, they can be a victim in a car wreck, at the sheriff’s office in a domestic situation, any situation in which first responders involved can be down- right scary for an adult, let alone a child.

Children, no matter what gender, universally love stuffed animals. A baby is crying, give them a stuffed rabbit, which might indeed help the situation. It is a time-honored remedy to a crying child.

That’s where the group Comfort For Kids or C4K comes in. Formed by Jimmy Winkler thirteen years ago, the group collects stuffed animals around the community, then gifts the stuffed toys to first responders for use during their emergency calls. At first limited to Dripping Springs, C4K has grown to include the entire Hays County’s First Responders, offering aid to young children and getting something in return, trust from the child.

Collection boxes were placed by C4K all around the community-- the high school, the Methodist Church, Walgreens, the middle schools, the Baptist Church, HEB, and the Presbyterian Church among other places.

Locally the Home Depot donated big plastic bins in which to keep handy the stuffed comforters. Wanting to get Dripping Springs High School involved, Winkler decided that National Honor Society members would be a good start to get the community involved. For the past two years, the drive coordinator for all of Dripping has been Dripping Springs High School senior Elizabeth Driggers.

“We (C4K) are able to give a light to a dark time for a child and break the barrier between law enforcement and the younger generation. This allows for children to trust first responders to keep them safe, no matter the situation,” Driggers said. “Most of the kids are from lower income, they see more domestic violence. So when they come in to the police station, they are provided with a stuffed animal. By doing this, we are able to give a light to a dark time for a child and break the barrier of between law enforcement and the younger generation.”

“The community provides the stuffed animals on their own...the senior center donated eight big trash bags, then Jimmy Winkler takes them to the first responders,” Driggers said. “This year, a small group of students including myself raised over 900 stuffed animals in the Dripping Springs area."

The NHS sponsored C4K as a service project and got the full support from the members, the school and the community.

But the students also get something in return. “Listening to the stories of [first responders] was extremely powerful, because the view of law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS, that [children] pair with feelings of fear/terror during a call, when in fact these guys are here to save the day and make sure everyone is safe, especially the kids.”

Driggers is well-rounded DSHS student who has been involved in multiple activites during her high school years, including soccer, theatre, and choir. “I’ve checked out a lot of things during high school, seeing what I like,” She will be attending Elon University in North Carolina in the fall.