Cuddle Buddies is a unique youth organization that collects new and lightly used stuffed animals for vulnerable and emotionally troubled children.

Anastasia Fullerton and Madeline Petrow, two teenage cousins from opposite sides of the U.S, founded Cuddle Buddies in 2004 as a community project.  Since then it has grown to an international mission distributing over 25,000 stuffed animal “buddies” to nonprofit agencies in California and Connecticut as well as orphanages in Kenya and Zimbabwe. 

“Our donations come from schools, community groups, businesses and toy manufacturers who want to help abused and ‘at risk’ children,” says Anastasia. 

Madeline adds that “Our goal is to establish chapters throughout the country so that more children can have a ‘buddy’ to hug and help them through the tough times.”

Cuddle Buddies has local chapters in Piedmont, CA, Greenwich, CT, Greensboro, NC, and Salt Lake City, UT.