Photo By Staff Sgt. Leia Tascarini | Soldiers from the 356th Quartermaster Company carry bags of teddy bears provided to...... read more read more
Miami Gardens, Fla. – As the officer in charge of the Florida Guardsmen working at the Community Based Testing Site (CBTS) at Hard Rock Stadium, Capt. Kenneth Dixon has been involved in the day-to-day operations of the testing site since its opening.
Dixon has ensured that the site runs efficiently, that his soldiers are following the protocols that protect the individuals being swabbed and themselves during COVID-19 testing, and has spent hours solving problems unique to this operation. He never expected, however, that one of his biggest challenges to date would be a request to obtain teddy bears.
“Early on in our operations at Hard Rock stadium, I was standing by the swabbing lane and I happened to see a child inside a vehicle who seemed a little scared to be there,” said Dixon, who is also the commander of the 356th Quartermaster Support Company. “We have soldiers wearing Tyvek suits, with masks and goggles, and you can’t really see their faces. It’s not hard to grasp how kids can be scared of them.”
With schools closed and stay-at-home ordnances in effect throughout Florida, some of the individuals going to the Hard Rock drive-thru CBTS for COVID-19 testing have no option but to bring their children – or grandchildren – along with them.
“The kid started to cry, so I thought that it would be a good idea to have something that could help comfort him,” said Dixon. “I made some calls but ran into a wall. Finally, I made the brigade commander and his staff aware of this request, and they were able to help me.”
That’s when Voices for Children Foundation, a Miami-Dade County-based organization that works with the state’s Guardian ad Litem program to support neglected children and youth, stepped in. Hearing about the need for teddy bears at the Hard Rock testing location, they reached out to the Florida National Guard and offered to help.
“When kids under 12 come into foster care because they are not safe in their homes, they have to go in front of a judge and it can be a very intimidating and scary process for them,” said Nelson Hincapie, President and CEO of Voices For Children Foundation. “Judges will give Teddy Bears to the kids to build a bridge and let the kids know that they can feel safe, and that the Judges will always look out for their safety and best interest. We keep a stock of teddy bears to give to the judges and when we heard of this need at the Hard Rock we decided to jump into action.”
After a conference call and a follow up meeting in person, Dixon and Hincapie quickly established a protocol to package and sterilize the toys off-site, using a double bagging system, which limits contact between the Guardsmen handing off the toy to the individuals receiving it. With close to 100 teddy bears available in their storage facility, Hincapie is hopeful he can offer assistance at other CBTS locations in the South Florida area experiencing similar challenges.
“We are honored to be able to step up and help the Florida Guard as they help the children of our community,” said Vince Castro, Chairman of the Voices for Children Foundation Board. “After all, we are working towards a similar goal: making sure that children feel safe and protected in these uncertain times.”
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2020 16:35 |
| Story ID: | 366771 |
| Location: | FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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