When a child is in need, the smallest details can make the greatest difference. The Buddy Bags program provides children with necessary and comforting items to support them through experiencing trauma and help them to recover and heal.
A new volunteer for Buddy Bags, Beverley, is excited to add purpose to her weekly schedule while providing a helping hand to a program that assists in support and recovery for children experiencing trauma. Having only been a Buddy Bags volunteer for two weeks, Beverly has already experienced the many benefits and joy that being a volunteer brings.
"It's so rewarding to be able to give back."
Beverly found that she had a little more time on her hands during retirement, and her daughter Sarah, who works at the Alannah & Madeline Foundation had a great idea for how to help her mum fill her time through a volunteer position that would be beneficial for both her and the wider community.
Items in the Buddy Bags and their importance
A Buddy Bag is something tangible a child or young person can call their own, and sends a message that they are special, that people care for them, and that they matter.
Each Buddy Bag is packed with different necessities based on the child’s age and gender to ensure different needs are met. Each Buddy Bag includes new pyjamas, socks and underwear, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a face washer, and hairbrush to attend to their personal care needs, a book to relax the mind, a trauma-informed toy for healing play, a photo frame, and a teddy bear. Every item is packed with the intention of “making the child comfortable and happy” explains Beverley.
An experience that provides a feeling like no other
"It is nice to be able to do something with my time that is also useful."
Beverly explains that there will always be a need to support children experiencing trauma, and the Buddy Bags program will continue to give the ability to provide children with reassurance and relief even in harder times.
At the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, helping children and young people experiencing violence and trauma is our core mission and this is not possible without the incredible generosity and assistance from our volunteer community.
Your chance to make a difference
Being a volunteer can not only make a difference to the community, but it can also have many personal benefits such as acting on your morals and values, creating new friendships, gaining work experience, challenging yourself in a new environment and many more!
While we are currently not accepting new volunteers for the Buddy Bags program, there are plenty of other areas in the Alannah & Madeline Foundation that would love to welcome new volunteers.
If you would like to become a part of an amazing community of those committed to supporting children to live the life they dream of, visit the volunteer's page to discover how you can make a difference and enrich the lives of children and young people.
