When faced with a crisis, how do first responders help children on the scene?
Thanks to grants from the AT&T Foundation, the Milwaukee and Fond du Lac Police Departments now have new first responder bags to help children deal with crisis situations as part of the REACH-A-ChildTM program.
An AT&T Foundation grant of $11,000 helped the Milwaukee Police Department acquire over 200 new REACH BAGs to support children in the community. In Fond du Lac, a $7,500 AT&T Foundation grant provided 31 new first responder bags.
“Investing in our children is a key component to building a better future for our community. Thanks to the generous donation from the AT&T Foundation, we will be able to bring comfort to children during stressful and traumatic situations,” said Chief Jeffrey Norman of the Milwaukee Police Department. “The Milwaukee Police Department appreciates the support from REACH-A-Child for giving us the opportunity to participate in this program. We are committed to working with our system and community partners to build sustainable neighborhoods free of crime that are built on positive relationships. We are better together.”
The program provides local sheriffs, police, EMTs and fire departments with First Responder REACH BAGs containing a variety of children’s books that are distributed at the scene of an accident, house fire or other emergency with the goal of redirecting the children’s attention from the crisis at hand.
What’s more, the Milwaukee and Fond du Lac Police Departments also received extra new children’s books to help replenish existing REACH BAGs and to support upcoming community events hosted by the Police Departments.
“When children are facing a crisis situation like a car accident or domestic disturbance, our mission is to help first responders engage them in a positive way through the power of a book,” said Curtis Fuszard, Executive Director of REACH-A-Child. “Thanks to the generous donation from the AT&T Foundation, we are able to provide the Milwaukee and Fond du Lac Police Departments with REACH BAGs that first responders can use to help comfort children in need.”
REACH-A-Child is a Madison-based nonprofit that partners with first responders in many communities across the state. Its mission is to provide first responders with REACH BAGs filled with books and drawstring backpacks to help comfort children in crisis. To learn more, please visit: http://reachachild.org/. Since 2014, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have contributed $57,500 to support children in crisis through REACH-A-Child.
The AT&T Foundation grant is part of AT&T’s philanthropic giving efforts to support our local communities. We invest our company’s resources and knowledge to advance access to education and training, improve lives and strengthen the communities in which we live and work.
See local media coverage of this story:
- ‘Reach Bag’ grant helps bring comfort to children in Fond du Lac – FOX11
- FDL Police Department Provides “Reach Bags” Through $7,500 Grant – KFIZ Radio
- AT&T Grant: REACH-A-Child – WFDL Radio
- MPD receives 200 Reach-A-Child first responder bags from AT&T – WISN 12
- Milwaukee police officers receive backpacks with books to help comfort kids during traumatic incidents – CBS58
- Milwaukee police get child crisis response bags – FOX6
- Hundreds of children’s books to be donated to Milwaukee police to give out – WTMJ4
