Teddy bears on a special mission: 

One of the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid’s best-known and most beloved initiatives is the Ambulance Teddy Program, launched in 2018.

Our Teddy bears are handcrafted by employees with reduced work capacity at five locations across Hungary: Alsóörs, Budapest, Harsány, Zemplénagárd, and Sarkad. The teddy bear was specially designed for our organization by textile toy designer Gabriella Hellenbach.

These cuddly bears have a very special mission. After leaving our workshops, they begin their service aboard ambulances operated by the Hungarian National Ambulance Service, where they provide comfort and reassurance to children during emergency medical care.

When the program was launched, our goal was to donate 20,000 Ambulance Teddy bears. Thanks to the dedication of our employees and the continued success of the initiative, we have now donated more than 60,000 bears to the National Ambulance Service.

Each year, the Hungarian National Ambulance Service responds to approximately 1.2 million emergency cases, including around 45,000 involving children. In these situations, paramedics not only rely on state-of-the-art medical care but also strive to provide compassion and emotional support. The Ambulance Teddy bears offer that extra source of comfort, helping children cope with fear, pain, and the stress of a medical emergency.

The program has become so successful that children who have travelled in an ambulance before often ask for their Ambulance Teddy as soon as they climb aboard, knowing that a familiar little companion is there to help them through a difficult experience.