The symbol on Loving Hugs’ brochure is a rotund brown teddy bear holding a pair of heart-shaped balloons. Reminding one of Winnie the Pooh, it’s just the sort of bear that a frightened young child would love to snuggle.

In 2007, Wendy Clark of Littleton started an international non-profit organization after receiving a letter from a U.S. military officer deployed in Iraq who had seen young children brought into a military outpost hospital, frightened and alone. She was certain that a cuddly stuffed animal would provide comfort to such a child, as well as others affected by wars, natural disasters and other stressful events beyond their control.

Loving Hugs Inc. collects new and gently used stuffed animals, has them cleaned and sends them through military contacts and volunteers around the world.

As animals were donated, Clark soon realized she couldn’t personally deal with cleaning them all. Fred and Susan Baker, owners of Heritage Cleaners, stepped in and offered to professionally launder all the “hugs” as Clark calls them, as well as offering their 16 sites as drop-off locations. Under the expert eye of employee George Tateosian, more than 60,000 stuffed animals have been cleaned and sent to new little owners in 35 countries.

Donations have come from across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.

Storage soon became a problem and again a generous local business came to the rescue. Mary Bradford and Mickey Kempf of Bradford Auto Body offered unused office and storage space, plus the use of the employee lunchroom for volunteers to inspect and sort donations prior to cleaning.

Clark recently presented Awards of Honor to these businesses for their humanitarian service.

Local families who may have surplus animals who need a new little buddy — especially after Christmas gifts arrived from grandparents and others — can donate them to this organization. For information: www.lovinghugs.org.