By Krystle J Bailey
Twelve years ago, Andrea and Dominic Pugliese of Egg Harbor Township felt the tug in their hearts to give back in a unique way. The journey began with one lovingly stuffed Build-A-Bear and a young boy living with leukemia who was comforted by the simplicity of a stuffed animal during the fight of his life.
One bear turned into ten and before long, Andrea and Dominic were delivering twenty then thirty bears to children in the region facing physical or emotional traumas.
By the third year, after seeing the joy on each child’s face as they received their special bear, the Puglieses created Built with Love, a 501(c)(3). With the outpouring of help and support from friends, family, and acquaintances, they soon found their basement overflowing with hundreds of Build-A-Bears for kids in need of an extra dose of comfort. With this help, Andrea and Dominic were able to put a smile on kids’ faces at Ronald McDonald House, CHOP in Philadelphia and Egg Harbor Township, Shriner’s Hospital, The Gift of Life, and more over the last several years.
Originally, the mission was to deliver bears during the Christmas season, though in recent years, the Built with Love organization has extended their services to include year-round Build-A-Bear love along with community service, Blessing Bags, and more. During the COVID-19 lockdown, they rented a private bus and movie theater for kids undergoing treatments and at higher risk for illness to enjoy an outing.
“When our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Aubree suddenly and unexpectedly passed away in the hospital, it was the darkest and saddest time of our lives,” shared Erica Settle of Egg Harbor Township. “Andrea and her husband Dominic, who live in our neighborhood, found out about what happened. They gave our five-year-old son Shane a Build-A-Bear. He said right away that the bear’s name would be Aubree, after his sister. Shane has slept with that bear ever since he got it and has taken the bear to show-and-tell at school and sleepovers at his grandparents’ houses. Aubree the bear is very special to him, and I’m sure he will keep it forever. We will never forget what the Pugliese family did for us.”
On one trip to Philadelphia Andrea and Dominic were struck by the homeless individuals enduring the cold weather, and before the day ended, Dominic and his friends went home to gather pillows, blankets, food, and hot chocolate to deliver to those in need, which is where Blessing Bags were born. In the subsequent Build-A-Bear delivery trips, the Built With Love team added a few blessing bags for homeless men and women in the area.
Beginning with simple things such as socks, water bottles, and granola bars, the Blessing Bags have grown exponentially. One Sunday each month, Andrea, Dominic, and their team deliver bags and a home-cooked meal for individuals in Atlantic City. The Blessing Bags now include ponchos, flashlights, playing cards, coloring books, deodorant, waterless toothbrushes, sunscreen, bug spray, and other special requests or seasonal items.
In addition to the services provided by Built with Love, the Pulgiese family also manages Bags Against Bullies, an anti-bullying campaign that brings empathy education into classrooms to combat bullying at the core.
Andrea and Dominic Pugliese reside in Egg Harbor Township with their three sons. Learn more and connect at builtwithlove.com or contribute to the cause at tinyurl.com/builtwithlove.
Krystle J Bailey is a published author, multimedia journalist, copywriter, and content creator. She is a regular Shore Local columnist and digital contributor as well as the booking agent and co-host of the radio show Joe’s Table for Two on WOND. Krystle can be reached at KrystleJBailey@gmail.com
