JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — A local widow is taking her grief and using it to help children that arrive at police stations.
Kirsten Bridegan is creating "The Bexley Box" and working on getting it into local police stations and sheriff's offices. The Bexley Box will be filled with diapers of various sizes, sippy cups, kids snacks, toys, blankets, stuffed animals and pre-mixed formula.
Kirsten says the idea came to her when thinking back on her experience in the hours after her husband, Jared Bridegan, was murdered outside The Sanctuary neighborhood in Jacksonville Beach. Their toddler, Bexley, was in the car with Jared when he was shot to death while moving a tire out of the roadway in what investigators describe as a targeted attack.
Bexley was unharmed and taken to the police department to be reunited with Kirsten. Kirsten says in her rush to get to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department that night, she didn't even think about bringing diapers, snacks or toys. All things that would have been helpful in the long hours they spent at Jax Beach PD after Jared's murder.
So she hopes having The Bexley Box at police stations will help fill that need for other families that suddenly find themselves in a similar situation.
"We are actually starting a nonprofit in honor of Jared and Bexley and hopefully expand this across Florida and across the country because there is a need. There are children all over the country that could benefit from something like this," tells Kirsten.
After posting it on her Instagram, JusticeForJaredB, her Amazon and Target wish lists sold out in just hours and she says she has gotten some great suggestions from other moms about what to add to the boxes.
"We are including some premixed formula bottles that can stay in the box and have a good shelf life," she says," things like that, that you don’t think of hopefully will make a difference."
If you would like to help, Kirsten says gift cards can be sent through the Target and Amazon registries:
Jared Bridegan's murder still remains unsolved, if you know anything please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS(8477).
