Daisy Troop 1260 is asking people to donate unwanted stuffed animals and used soft toys to send to less fortunate children.

Troop leader Christina Parker said the project dawned on her as a way for the girls to work on their journey book.

“We need to do a community project to fill the book,” she said. “We decided to do something different. We are calling it the ‘stuffed-animal drive.’”

SAFE, or Stuffed Animals For Emergencies, is a nation-wide program used by the military that takes teddy bears and stuffed animals overseas to give to children whom they are trying to help and get to safety.

The program is also used by fire departments and hospitals around the country to ease the fears of children in traumatic situations.

Two organizations in Texas will receive the boxes from Park County: The Rio Youth Complex Pavilion of the Rio Grande Valley; and the Adopt a Platoon.

“They send the smaller animals over to the war areas,” Parker said.

Some of the donated soft toys will go to children who come to the U.S. from Mexico, she said.

“We decided this would open up the eyes of the girls who are so young,” she said. “We want the girls to understand used toys can be used by someone else in a different way. We want the girls to understand something can be recycled, reused and reloved.”

The soft toys give little ones something to hold on to and make them feel comfortable.

In typical kid-speak, Daisies Roxi Blevins, GracieLou Parker and Cambria Good gave one-word answers.

Asked to describe their feelings on the project, they replied good, happy and joyful.

“I’m happy people want to donate,” Blevins said. “I just didn’t put mine in the box yet.”

Good thinks everyone has toys they are going to donate.

Parker and Good made the box put inside the Burger King entry, covered in colorful handprints.

Other drop off locations include Albertsons, Kmart, Bubba’s Bar-B-Que, and Walgreens. Items will be accepted through Sunday, Jan. 18. The containers will have flyers on them to make it easy for people to find.

People also can find the Daisy booth at the Park County Public Library, 1-3 p.m. Jan 24 during the Winter Gathering, Parker said.

Donations also will be accepted at the Boys and Girls Club through Friday, 3-7 p.m.

“We want the girls to understand what they’re doing and to work as a team,” she said.

The project will allow the girls to watch it progress and see what it does, she said.

Parker is assisted by co-leader Kaylani Good and mother volunteers Karen Anderson, Cassie Hubbs and Shaniece Hughes.

“We need the community’s help to pull together for the girls,” Parker said. “Their cute faces will tell it all. I think it will be wonderful for Cody also.”

The scouts will pay to send the items to the locations. Donations also will be accepted if people want to help with the shipping expenses.

Kayloni Good is pleased to be involved in the project.

“Wyoming is so small we don’t often get a chance to do this,” she said. “It’s cool to be able to participate in this for the children.”

She described how her daughter has formed an attachment to a stuffed animal and how it relates to the project.

“Cambria has had her monkey Momo since she was a newborn,” she said. “It’s her comfort. She has to have it with her.”

Good used it as a teaching moment by asking what would happen if Cambria didn’t have her stuffed animals.

Tearing up, Cambria said, “I have to have my Momo.”

It’s a similar situation for children who don’t have a comfort zone, she said.

The group has increased from three to eight girls. Parker is optimistic interest will continue to grow and more girls will sign up to be a Daisy Scout.

The troop is comprised of Jolene Anderson, Blevins, Ashley Friedman, Ashten Hubbs, Leslie Hughes, Parker, Good and Sheila-Jean Leblanc.

The troop is under the auspices of Girl Scouts Montana Wyoming of Cody.