After 16 years and nine months of dedicated service, the Joe Joe Bear Foundation announced on December 24 that it would officially close operations on December 31, 2025. This decision follows sustained declines in donations combined with significant increases in operational costs, founder Jeanette Maurer said in a post on Facebook. The foundation is based in Katy.

Founded in March 2009 in loving memory of Joseph Ordaz, the Joe Joe Bear Foundation was created to bring comfort and support to children facing serious illness and to the families walking alongside them. Its mission has always been simple yet powerful:

Through the program, round-the-clock comfort was offered to children in the form of a teddy bear; educational resources and support were offered to their family to give information they need during the challenging time of caring for their sick child.

Serving primarily the Greater Houston–Galveston area, with bears occasionally sent across the country, the foundation touched tens of thousands of lives by distributing nearly 60,000 teddy bears to children in hospitals and care facilities—each one offering comfort during some of the most difficult days families face.

“Closing the Joe Joe Bear Foundation was an incredibly difficult decision,” said Maurer. “But after nearly 17 years, the financial realities changed. Donations declined while the cost of providing services continued to rise. Ending this chapter allows us to conclude our work responsibly, with dignity, and in alignment with our values.”

All teddy bears have now been distributed, and remaining funds will be disbursed to other charitable organizations, ensuring continued support for children and families beyond the foundation’s closing.

“The Joe Joe Bear Foundation extends its deepest gratitude to its donors, volunteers, board members, medical partners, and supporters who made this mission possible for more than a decade and a half,” Maurer said on Facebook. “The compassion shown through every bear delivered will continue to live on in the hearts of the families served. It has been an honor to serve.”