[LoriGreenberg]

Hi Kathy.

Karen in the office receives the boxes and goes through every single bead. Makes sure they're clean and nothing sharp or delicate that can be harmful. She then packages each bead into a little plastic ziploc with a Beads of Courage hang tag specially for Acts of Courage beads.

When a new hospital program is started, part of their introductory boxes of beads include an amount of Acts of Courage beads. Hospitals know that they are supposed to call when they are running low on beads and when they do, they are sent more. (I don't know the amounts of either the start up beads or additional beads that are sent).

There is no discrimination of where beads go or who gets what. We have had requests that some beads, after being sent to headquarters, be distributed to the artist groups home hospital site. Jean says that they always try to do their best with that.

Act of Courage beads are distributed to kids at the discretion of the nursing staff. They are for a particularly tough time where courage is shown and when they feel a kid needs an extra boost. (In between Act of Courage beads they get lots of others for all of their procedures and milestones). When trained by Beads of Courage, nursing staff are told, "if you have a question as to whether to give an Act of Courage bead for something, GIVE IT."

Children get to choose their own Act of Courage bead out of the stash on hand at the hospital.

I think that maps the path of a bead. If there are more specific questions, please ask!