In 1989, the ladies of the Medina Church of Christ began the Caring Bear Program. The purpose of this program is to distribute handmade teddy bears to sick and/or injured children (and, sometimes the elderly) when they are taken to the local hospital emergency rooms.

It is our hope that the bears help to calm the patient and somehow make a painful and scary experience a little more "bearable".

The distribution of bears has expanded beyond the emergency room to include the pediatrics wing and the lab where blood is drawn. Sometimes the bears accompany the emergency rescue teams when they go on their runs. It has even been reported that the Life Flight doctors from Cleveland and Akron hospitals take a supply of bears with them when they are called into the Medina General Hospital and Lodi Community Hospital, which along with Brunswick Intermediate Care Center are supplied with bears from the Church.

Three years ago, a team of doctors from the Medina area traveled to the Philippines on a humanitarian mission and took a supply of bears to distribute. A local newspaper reporter went along to document this mission and pictures of sick Philippine children holding their new "comforting friends" appeared in the local newspaper.

Most of the material used to make these "little labors of love" are donated by businesses and individuals. They are hand painted, cut , stuffed, and sown by the ladies who volunteer their time, often working in teams or individually.

Finally a "Donated with Love" tag is sown onto each bear. The tag has the name of the Church, address, and phone number. It is the hope of the Church that if there is  a need that it can fulfill, the recipients will call on us.

Approximately 130-150 bears per month are produced and distributed to the three hospitals. In the 11 years since the program began, there have been nearly 20,000 bears distributed.

This program and the dedication of the Church, along with the love these little bears have given so many, are an example of the love Christians have for those who are hurting and those who are frightened, especially those that are so small and precious to God.

In the "Caring Bear " supply room hangs a bulletin board covered with cards and letters received by the Church, from grateful mothers and fathers, thanking these loving souls for the tiny bearers of comfort.