Drug addiction impacts a community in many different ways. Unfortunately children who have a parent that is struggling with drug addiction can be the ones who are often most affected. Children witnessing drug addiction are too young and innocent to understand the situation and can internally suffer from emotional trauma.
The Sidney Addict Assistance Team (SAAT) recently received a grant from the Student United Way to help comfort children who have experienced the pain of a drug addiction environment. The awarded grant purchased 32 Timbi the Bear Deluxe sets. This set includes a bear, coloring book, and an easy to read book that addresses a variety of issues that children with a parent struggling with addiction face. The child needs to understand addiction is not their fault. This packet validates children’s emotions by describing, naming and normalizing them. Timbi provides suggestions and recommendations for coping in healthy, life enhancing ways. This is such a great resource to add to the community and we are so thankful to be awarded this grant. These packets will be available to officers to hand out to children that are in these difficult situations.
Capt. J A Tangeman
Sidney P. D.