As wildfires continue to burn across Los Angeles County, displacing tens of thousands of families and forcing many into temporary housing, two mothers have launched a grassroots project to reunite displaced children with their beloved stuffed toys and blankets.
Sisters-in-law Randi Jaffe and Jenny Jaffe created the LA Lost Stuffy Project, which raises funds to buy new versions of stuffed toys and blankets lost in the fires.
Randi Jaffe told "Good Morning America" she and her sister-in-law wanted to come up with a way to help families impacted by the fires, even though they live across the country in New Jersey and New York respectively. She said the idea for LA Lost Stuffy Project came to her because as a child life specialist and a mom of two, she knows firsthand how important comfort items can be for kids.
"I've just been thinking about what we can do and how we can help these kids and these families, and immediately, I thought of comfort items -- loveys, stuffies, blankies," Randi Jaffe said.
"We know that comfort items are key with kids -- young kids all the way up through young adults," she continued. "When families are displaced or experiencing trauma, obviously there's no control at all. So, this is such a small way to give kids back their control."