Law enforcement agencies across Florida are receiving a new tool designed to comfort children brought to stations during moments of crisis.

Known as “Bexley Boxes,” the resource kits are filled with items such as toys, diapers, blankets and sippy cups. Hundreds of the boxes are currently being distributed to police stations and sheriff’s offices throughout the state, including a recent delivery to the Temple Terrace Police Department.

The boxes are the flagship initiative of the Bridegan Foundation, a non-profit organization born out of a 2022 tragedy in Jacksonville Beach. Kirsten Bridegan created the organization seven months after her husband, Jared, was ambushed and shot to death outside his car. The couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Bexley, was strapped into her car seat during the attack. Following the incident, Bexley was taken to a police station, where she waited for hours for her mother to arrive without access to basic toddler necessities though officers tried to take care of her as best as they could according to the foundation.

Community partner Walmart has pledged more than $200,000 to fill the boxes via 126 Florida stores, with 245 boxes slated for delivery this summer. The kits contain things like allergen-free food, books, and toys to distract children while they are being looked after by officers.

Cpt. Jason Malave of the Temple Terrace Police Department shared his feelings on Wednesday during the delivery about finding out his agency would be receiving one of the boxes.

“Pretty surprised. I didn’t know we were going to get one. I didn’t know it was actually going to be as large as it was. I knew some of the larger departments ended up getting Bexley Boxes. Then, just from speaking to the representatives from Walmart, they let me know that, nope, it’s going to be everybody that they can,” Malave said.

“It makes a huge difference because again when you have someone that is experiencing those difficult times. When you’re able to actually provide them with something that provides even a little bit of assistance and makes things just a little bit better for them,” Malave added. “I didn’t know about the Bexley Box until recently. So, I did a little bit of research on it. The organization seems phenomenal.”

The program aims to address a common gap in law enforcement resources, providing items for children in crisis that a police station usually does not have readily available.

“We’re making sure that every agency, law enforcement agency, in the state of Florida has one of these boxes,” said Tom Cooper, a market manager with Walmart. “You’ve got toys, you’ve got some food. You’ve got some entertainment items like diapers that are in there depending on the child that is in here.”

Cooper noted Walmart’s role as a community partner in the initiative. “I know we’re going to reach out and get boxes to every law enforcement agency in the whole state of Florida.”

Melissa Rice, treasurer of the Bridegan Foundation, emphasized that the young non-profit, now about four-years-old, intends to maintain a long-term commitment to the participating departments.

“Having something there that takes something off the officers and it gives the kids something to disconnect with what’s going on and just be able to focus on,” Rice said. “We want it to be where if a police station is out of something, they send us an email and it goes right to them. We get stuff to them right away. We don’t want it to be a sort of ‘one-and-done’ kind of thing. This is something to continue our partnership. Walmart has made it so much easier for us to get this done in Florida.”

The Bridegan Foundation hopes to keep the boxes restocked and replenished as needed. Law enforcement agencies interested in receiving a box are encouraged to contact the foundation directly via phone or email.

If your law enforcement agency is in need of a refill or if you’d like to sponsor a Bexley Box, email contact@brideganfoundation.org or call
(904) 439-1065.

While Florida serves as the primary hub for the initiative, Bexley Boxes are currently utilized in more than a dozen states. International shipment requests have already been received, Rice said and the organization aims to expand globally as resources permit in the future.

To donate to The Bridegan Foundation, click here.