A little girl's big heart: Elizabeth Carniol's 'Cuddlers for Cruisers' brings comfort to kids in crisis

VIRGINIA, USA — When you think of a Girl Scout, you might picture cookie sales and badges. But for Elizabeth Carniol, a Girl Scout from Spotsylvania County, her Bronze Award project was about something much bigger. It was about helping kids in crisis.

Inspired by her desire to make a difference, Elizabeth created "Cuddlers for Cruisers," a heartwarming initiative to provide stuffed animals to local deputies so they can offer comfort to children during tough times.

Elizabeth’s journey started with a simple idea: kids going through traumatic events like car accidents, being separated from parents, or other emergencies should have something soft and cuddly to hold onto. 

“I wanted to help kids going through rough times,” Elizabeth explained. “I’m trying to help them, so they know they are not alone.”

With the help of Deputy Ashley DiBella from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office, Elizabeth turned her dream into reality. After talking with the deputy to see if stuffed animals were something officers needed, Elizabeth sprang into action. She created an Amazon Wish List filled with a variety of stuffed animals and asked friends, family, and her community for support.

Before long, stuffed animals began arriving at her house, ready to be sorted, cleaned, and delivered to the sheriff's office. Elizabeth made sure that even gently used stuffed animals got a fresh start, cleaning them with wipes and fluffing them up in the dryer. She even included heartfelt notes with each one, letting kids know that the stuffed animals were there to bring them comfort.

Finally, Elizabeth delivered bags full of cuddly creatures to the sheriff's office, where they were handed out to deputies. Now, whenever a deputy responds to a call involving children, they can offer a plush friend to help ease the child’s fear and uncertainty.

“I learned that even though kids are smaller than adults, they can still make a big change in the community,” Elizabeth shared. 

DiBella, who played a big role in helping Elizabeth get the project off the ground, will often have a cruiser filled with some of the stuffed animals, ready to share them with kids in need.

Want to Help?

Elizabeth is still collecting stuffed animals for "Cuddlers for Cruisers" and hopes the project will continue to grow. If you’d like to contribute, visit the Amazon Wish List she set up here and send a stuffed animal to brighten a child’s day.

This little Girl Scout’s big heart is proof that kindness can come in all sizes, and her work is making a difference one cuddle at a time.