The image of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau has been smattered across Bridgewater, towns throughout Lunenburg County and, indeed, the entireAtlantic region over the past two weeks.

 Posters, photos, cards and roadside signs all ask the same question: "Have you seen Karissa?"

 It is easy for these smaller, community-driven efforts to become lost amid the helicopters and police diving teams that have become commonplace along the banks of the LaHave River since Karissa vanished.

 But these expressions of support, sympathy and hope speak volumes about a county that has been touched by the unexplained disappearance of a child.

 The Bridgewater Atlantic Superstore, where Penny Boudreau, Karissa's mother, and her common-law partner, Vernon MacCumber, work, had been ground zero for the overwhelming community response that has surged since Karissa disappeared on January 27.

 Allan Cameron, an assistant manager at the Bridgewater Atlantic Superstore, said that because Penny and Vernon are both members of the store's family, Karissa's disappearance has hit very close to home for store staff.

 "When they're hurting, we're hurting," Mr. Cameron said. "And our priority is to do whatever we can."

 Staff at Superstore helped to raise over $2,000 on their own to ease the financial burden on Ms Boudreau and Mr. MacCumber during this time of tragic uncertainty.

 In addition to that, Mr. Cameron added that over the past two weeks, the customers and staff at Atlantic Wholesalers stores throughout the region have raised approximately $10,000 through a second fundraiser.

 Mr. Cameron said the generous donations collected will go to Child Find.

 In addition to raising money, the Bridgewater Superstore also produced posters bearing Karissa's face for anyone or any group willing to post them.

 Just outside of Bridgewater, at the Wal-Mart in Cookville, staff had been wearing name badges featuring a photo of Karissa in order to ensure her face is not forgotten.

 Blair Gleeson, an assistant manager at Wal-Mart, said the store wanted to do whatever it could to aid the family and police in the search for the young girl.

 "We're just trying to get the word out there," Mr. Gleeson said. "You hear about these things happening in other places or other provinces, but never here."

 Wal-Mart has traditionally been a supporter of organizations dedicated to finding missing children and, with a child missing from our own region, it was natural that the staff at that store would do what they could to support the family.

 "The publicity's getting out there, and hopefully it's doing the job," Mr. Gleeson said.

 The quest to find Karissa also took on a life of its own on the internet, where multiple Facebook groups were created in an effort to help find Karissa.

 Cindy Croft, who is the administrator behind the largest "Karissa Boudreau" Facebook group, which to date has roughly 16,000 members, said she was compelled to lead the on-line charge to find Karissa by simply imagining herself in the family's position.

 "Where I'm a mom, I would want someone to do the same thing if it were my kids," Ms Croft said.

 One of the things that was a source of concern since the creation of the Facebook group is the inappropriate posting about Karissa's disappearance that some members have engaged in.

 "There's a lot of speculation and I think that people should keep their opinions to themselves or e-mail the people that they're directing them to and not posting them on the computer, because it's probably upsetting to the family," Ms Croft said.

 However, she was quick to add that the overwhelming majority of the 16,000 members have been positive and have used the group as a forum to voice support for Karissa and her family, and to offer thoughts and prayers.

 "There's [been] a lot of support - a lot more than I expected for a small community," Ms Croft said.