The Comfort Cub Program Inc

Our primary area of focus is the mental health needs of our local San Diego school districts for the 2022-2023 school year.  Elementary and high school students in the San Diego County School Districts are suffering from anxiety, depression and academic problems due to the ripple effects of COVID-19.  These school districts have requested our Comfort Cubs to be utilized as a calming therapeutic tool to help ease the student’s mental distress and help them cope as they return to the classroom. In San Diego County alone, there are over 41 school districts with over 500,000 students grades K-12.  We started with the areas of San Diego that reached out to us with the greatest need and those with the highest levels of poverty. 

Approximately 204 elementary and high school students in the San Diego County School Districts would receive their own personal Comfort Cub as a therapeutic tool to help them deal with stress and anxiety both during school and at home.  We conservatively estimate the Comfort Cub will be shared with at least two other family members or friends as well.  Therefore, we estimate at least 400 people will benefit from The Comfort Cub’s physiological calming response.  Younger students will also receive an accompanying Comfort Cub “My Feelings” booklet to help them identify and better understand their emotions.  Our long-term goal is to expand to all 41 school districts in San Diego County.  The school districts have indicated to us that this is urgent and critical because their need for mental health services is at an all-time high.  The rate of suicide among children and teens ages 10-24 has increased 60% in the last two years.  According to a recent CDC survey, 75% of those under the age of 24 reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health issue.  The use of Comfort Cubs to help with anxiety and depression is a new, innovative and holistic approach to healing.