FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — This Child Abuse Prevention Month, a local teenager is working to help young children in abusive situations.
It's all through 17-year-old Kenny Royer's Stuffed Toy Drive.
He's collecting stuffed animals to donate to Davis House Child Advocacy Center, a Franklin-based nonprofit that guides families through traumatic abusive experiences.
Since Kenny started the drive in March, over 200 animals have been donated, and he's raised over $3,000 for the organization.
"Making sure that they have enough stuffed animals for every child, if not two for every child, is really important," said Kenny Royer. "[It] really shows that kid that they're cared for and that they are not the ones in the wrong."
Kenny says you can donate new stuffed animals all month long.
You can drop them off directly to Davis House, or at their dropbox locations outside WST Corporation in Franklin or Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville.
If you want to learn more, you can go to the Davis House website.
It's truly the small things that add up to a great day - and Warrick in Lebanon is having a big impact. His familiar face is becoming a staple in one part of the community and inspiring closer connection in the simplest way. Enjoy his warm personality! You may even feel inclined to wave to a stranger today, too.
-Rebecca Schleicher