By Cary Shuman
Representing Project Delta, Mark AuBuchon, vice president of the organization, presented comfort kits to the Everett Police Department during a Feb. 12 ceremony at the police station.
The kits, which are duffel bags, contain stuffed teddy bears that police officers and other first responders give to children during crisis calls to help comfort the children and their families.
Police Chief Paul D. Strong, Police Capts. Demetri O’Malley and Chris Hannon, and Community Outreach Officer Nicole O’Donnell accepted the kits from AuBuchon.
“These kits give children comfort and help them feel grounded and cared for in traumatic and frightening situations – such as domestic violence, medical, crime, and fire calls – actually, in any call where in an officer’s discretion, the child could utilize this kit,” said O’Donnell, who has been an Everett Police officer for 11 years. “The kits have been proven to lessen a child’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from an incident. We’re grateful for Project Delta’s generosity and thrilled to collaborate with them to help the community.”
AuBuchon said Project Delta is a non-profit program operated by Freemasons, their families, and supporters.
“The program originally started with a gentleman in Braintree who belonged to Delta Lodge and that’s where the name Project Delta comes from,” explained AuBuchon. “The child was collecting stuffed animals. He contacted a Braintree Police officer and asked if his department could utilize the stuffed animals, and the concept grew from there.”
Project Delta is now in operation in 12 states, noted AuBuchon, whose organization has presented thousands of kits to local police departments.
Interestingly, AuBuchon said he was a paramedic working in the Everett-Chelsea area when Strong was an Everett police sergeant. “We go back a few years and it’s great to see Paul in his position as chief and us being able to present these kits to the Everett Police Department.”