Twelve-year-old Sadie Hutson of Dobson, North Carolina, has turned thrift-store plush toys into comfort for children hit by home fires. When the North Carolina Red Cross ran low on stuffed animals for disaster response, she donated 114 restored toys.

Sadie and her mother rescue worn and damaged stuffed animals from thrift stores. They wash, repair, restuff and restore each one by hand. Bears, rabbits and other toys that might have been thrown away get a second chance.

Red Cross Disaster Program Specialist Jon McCollum said children are often overlooked in the early stages of a disaster. Volunteers recently recognized Sadie's work with an award at the Central Surry Volunteer Fire Department.

She first kept her work quiet. "Hearing the stories was a little heartbreaking," Sadie said. "That's why I did it." She agreed to share her story only to inspire other young people to help in their own communities.

She is still going. Sadie keeps rescuing and restoring more toys, knowing they will end up in the arms of children living through the hardest moments of their lives.