Green Bear program

When Leasa Stone witnessed something horrible, she mourned. And then she acted.

Stone, a foster mother, grieved the death of a 2-year-old in 2000, a child she had earlier cared for. The death was the result of alleged abuse by the child's father.

Stone, also a pediatric nurse, said she did not want to see the child die in vain, so she started the Green Bear program, named after the child's favorite comfort toy.

She takes the abuse prevention and awareness program around to around 10,000 students in area schools, with adjustments to various age groups. The program is funded in part with a $53,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services through the SEMO Network Against Sexual Violence organization.

Stone's story is inspiring. Who knows how many lives she has protected through her offerings over the last six years.