Cape Ann Dept. of Children & Families Receives Donation from Groom Construction and Jacqueline's Gourmet Cookies

Sheila Duncan of Marblehead, co-creator of the children’s character, Trouble the Dog, delivered 25 plush toy dogs and 60 packages of chocolate chip cookies to children in foster care at the Cape Ann Department of Children and Families (DCF). Cape Ann DCF's mission is to ensure that children are able to grow and thrive in a nurturing home environment. The plush toys and cookies were delivered on Valentine’s Day, thanks to the generosity of Groom Construction (groomco.com/) and Jacqueline’s Gourmet Cookies, (jacquelinesbakery.com/) both of Salem, Mass.

“There are hundreds of children in our local communities who are separated from their homes and families,” said Carla King, Cape Ann Department of Children and Families. “We are grateful to Groom Construction and Jacqueline’s Gourmet Cookies for teaming up with Trouble the Dog for this very special delivery for the children in our care.”

“As of 2014, there were over 400,000 American children in foster care,” said Duncan, co-creator of the comfort character for children, Trouble the Dog. “We created a corporate program (troublethedog.com/initiatives/) to address this immediate need, coordinating the delivery of Trouble Dogs to social service agencies like DCF across the country. Groom Construction and Jacqueline’s Gourmet Cookies enabled us to provide these children with the gentle presence that Trouble the Dog brings, as a proven means to help children in crisis.”

Groom Construction was founded in 1979 by brothers Tom and Dave Groom. Joined by youngest brother Dwight in the late 1980's, the company's portfolio includes a wide variety of projects from luxury homes, commercial and institutional projects, to a growing list of national retail brands.

Jacqueline's Gourmet Cookies, founded by Jacqueline Hazel, are known to surpass every expectation and standard for excellence. Jacqueline's has become a reliable, easy-to-prepare favorite in many hotels, fast casual restaurants, catering, cafeteria operations and in-store bakeries.

Trouble the Dog is a keepsake plush dog known to comfort and soothe children experiencing trouble in their lives. Hand sewn in America, Trouble has been applauded by CNN and MSNBC as a “socially conscious comfort toy” and as a “therapy dog”for children by the Boston Herald.

Photo:

Sheila Duncan, left, co-creator of the children’s character Trouble the Dog, delivered 25 plush toy dogs and 60 packages of gourmet cookies to Carla King, Cape Ann Department of Children and Families as a sweet treat for the children in their care on Valentine’s Day.

The gifts were made possible, thanks to Groom Construction and Jacqueline’s Gourmet Cookies of Salem, who participated in Trouble the Dog’s ongoing corporate program (troublethedog.com/initiatives/) to help support children in foster care.

For more information about Trouble the Dog, visit: www.troublethedog.net. To learn more about the corporate program, visit: troublethedog.com/initiatives/.

For those interested in learning more about foster care, call: 1-800-508-KIDS.