The Buddy Bag you gave Evie helped… | Alannah & Madeline Foundation Skip to main content

For years, Evie* saw her father inflict violence and abuse towards her mum.

When Evie turned five, her father began to turn the physical and verbal abuse towards her too.

Her mum was too scared to leave as he controlled the money, the house – everything. She felt like there was no way out.

But one day, when he committed a particularly horrific act of violence, the police became involved.

Evie and her mum quickly fled their family home to find a new house where they wouldn’t be found. Sadly, someone revealed their location to Evie’s father. That’s when the stalking and harassment began.

He would torment them, driving past their house on a daily basis. At school. Their local shopping centre. He was everywhere.

One weekend, the stalking and harassment became too much. There was nowhere to hide. No one to support them.

Evie’s mum called a family violence service and said, “I need to leave. I'm really scared and I'm really worried that he's actually going to come and kill us.”

The service helped them escape to emergency accommodation, leaving with whatever they had on them. No documents. No toys. Just the bare minimum. Evie was so scared and anxious.

But when she saw the Buddy Bag waiting on her bed in the accommodation, made possible by your incredible generosity, it was like Christmas.

The support worker said, “She was so excited. She went through the whole Buddy Bag immediately. She loved everything in it; the activities, the books, the teddies, all the things we take for granted.”

Because of you and the Buddy Bag you helped provide, Evie could just be a child again.

She sat for hours in their accommodation with all her brand-new treasures, playing with the playdough, drawing with her notebook and pencils, and reading her new book.

And that night, as she fell asleep with her new teddy to cuddle, she didn’t feel so scared anymore. Because your kindness meant she could finally feel a sense of safety and comfort. Thank you for helping Evie feel safe again.

Learn more about the Buddy Bags program your generosity makes possible.

*This story is a true account, but we have used different names and images to protect their safety and privacy.