Dorchester Police Department Receives Plush Toys to Help Children in Crisis

Sheila Duncan, co-creator of the children’s character, Trouble the Dog, delivered plush Trouble dogs and books to Dorchester Police Headquarters today to help children in crisis. The donation was made possible, thanks to a generous gift to The Kennek Foundation to honor the life of Sister Frances Donahue. The Kennek Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to bringing hope and inspiration to children and families going through tough times.

The donation is a fitting tribute to Sister Frances Donahue, of the Sisters of Notre Dame, who spent most of her life dedicated to the service and well-being of others. Sister Frances received a master's degree in Public Health with an emphasis on Population Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was also awarded a Ph.D. in Public Health Research and Evaluation. She taught Biology and Chemistry at St. Mary's High School in Lawrence and Biology and Microbiology at Emmanuel College. In 2000, Sister Frances joined the staff of St. Mark's Parish in Dorchester, where she continued her commitment to social justice. She worked closely with the Dorchester community alongside Father Dan Finn, now Executive Director and Pastor of the Irish Pastoral Centre.

“Sister Frances was passionate about social justice and helping people – especially children,” said Sheila Duncan, Founder, The Kennek Foundation. “We are honored to be involved in this donation to the Dorchester Police as a tribute to the life of Sister Frances and as a reflection of our longstanding commitment to support First Responders."

Through this generous donation, The Kennek Foundation delivered several boxes of Trouble the Dog plush toys and books for police officers to have on hand in their cruisers as a resource in providing comfort to children facing difficult situations.

“We are grateful for this donation to the Police Department and will be certain to use the plush toys as a source of comfort to children in the event of an accident or other emergency situation,” said Captain Timothy Connolly, District C-11, Dorchester Police. “Working together, we can all help to bring about positive change in our communities by supporting those in need.”

Photo:

Sheila Duncan, (far left), Founder of The Kennek Foundation, delivered plush Trouble dogs and books to District C-11 Dorchester Police Department to help children in crisis. The generous donation was made possible by the Donahue family to honor the life of Sister Frances Donahue, SND. Sister Frances spent most of her life dedicated to the service and well-being of others. The Kennek Foundation delivered Trouble the Dog plush toys and books for police officers to have as a resource in providing comfort to children in their community in the event of an accident or other emergency.

Accepting the donation from left to right are: Sheila Duncan, Founder, The Kennek Foundation, Dorchester Police Community Service Officer Tahisha Skeen, Community Service Officer Tim Golden, Vietnamese Community Liaison Tram Tram, and Area C-11 Captain Timothy Connolly.