Love, Hugs & Kindness

It all started with a trip to Build-A-Bear.

When Emily Cammeyer’s greatgrandmother turned 90, Emily—only 10 years old at the time—and her younger brother went to Build-A-Bear to make her a bear as a gift. They dressed it in a Yankees uniform since she was a huge fan.

“She ended up calling this bear Joan Jeter because her favorite Yankee was Derek Jeter,” Emily recalls. “She lived alone so the bear kept her company when nobody else was with her. When she eventually got sick and got admitted to the hospital and then to hospice care, she took the bear everywhere she went.”

The bear continued to keep her company in the hospital when she was alone. Emily remembers her great-grandmother as a strong woman. “She made sure that she was going to make it past my birthday.”

On Emily’s 11th birthday, her grandmother sang her happy birthday, bear in hand. That was the last time Emily saw her. She passed away the next day.

That experience is what led Emily—at age 12—to starting the program Love & Hugs for Zusman Hospice. The program provides bears, like her grandmother’s, to hospice patients for comfort—and a touch of kindness—as they near the end of their lives.

Emily was inspired to start Love & Hugs for Zusman Hospice after she and her family committed to donating 100 bears to a local hospice for her bat mitzvah.

“Ironically, my good friend’s great-grandmother was one of the first recipients of the bears that we donated. Her family got to experience what my family and I experienced with our bear. They said that this bear is a great reminder of their greatgrandmother and the love that they had for one another.”

For Emily, the program is meaningful because it doesn’t just impact the patients, but also the family members, loved ones and caregivers. Since the program began, Love & Hugs for Zusman Hospice has given out around 3,000 bears—with many more to come!

Helping others has always been a part of Emily’s life, even before her journey with Love & Hugs for Zusman Hospice. Growing up, she participated in volunteer work around Columbus, Ohio, to give back to her community, and in high school she traveled to Detroit and Philadelphia to volunteer in those communities as well. Last fall, Emily was honored by the Columbus Jewish News as one of 18 Difference Makers—the youngest recipient to receive the award.

With such a strong commitment to service, it’s no surprise that Emily found herself drawn to Tri Delta after she began college at Ohio Wesleyan University. In fact, it was during the philanthropy round of recruitment when Emily knew she was meant to be a Tri Delta. She was so touched and inspired by Tri Delta’s commitment to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“When I first started college, I didn't picture myself in a sorority but now I can't picture myself not in one. During recruitment I instantly fell in love with Tri Delta. First, because of the amazing women that were in it, but later I found out about St. Jude and I was sold. This philanthropy really touched my heart, and I thought it was amazing how much Tri Delta has done for this organization.”

Since joining Tri Delta, Emily credits our sisterhood with helping her build confidence as she becomes the best version of herself.

“My Tri Delta experience has impacted me so much in a positive way. I am way more confident in myself. I don't have to worry about what other people think of me anymore because I know that my sisters will always have my back. I learned to embrace the real me because everyone is a little weird, and my sisters helped me learn and embrace that.”

Even with college, Emily still has big plans for Love & Hugs for Zusman Hospice. Her goal in the coming years is to expand to more hospices and hospitals and to raise enough money for an endowment so that the program can continue for many more years to come.

“I would like to share a little comfort to as many people possible because the end of life is one of, if not the, hardest parts of life.”

As for the original Joan Jeter bear, it still sits in Emily’s room at home—a constant, loving reminder of her greatgrandmother.