After a conversation with Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear, Rachel Brodsky decided to make and donate bears to the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. It was very important to Rachel, daughter of Jennifer and David Brodsky of Chesterfield, to be able to help children in need.

Using $500 of her bat mitzvah money, Rachel and a friend spent the Sunday prior to her big weekend at the St. Louis Galleria Build-A-Bear. “The staff was wonderful to work with and although it was a busy time, they were dedicated to helping the girls build 50 bears,” said Jennifer Brodsky.

Later that day, Rachel and two friends delivered the bears to Crisis Nursery. “I was so excited to give the bears to Crisis Nursery,” she said. “It made me realize that giving was an important part of my mitzvah project.” Rachel, a student at Rockwood Valley Middle School, and her family hope to work with Crisis Nursery in the future.

St. Louis Crisis Nursery is committed to preventing child abuse and neglect and provides emergency intervention, respite care and support to families in crisis.