For vulnerable children in Bendigo, sometimes all you need is a clean set of clothes and a blanket.
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Aid is now available in the form of backpacks containing essential items for displaced children.
Not-for-profit organisation Backpacks 4 VIC Kids have opened the doors to its tiny site at the back of the Bendigo Baptist Church at Junortoun.
The site, a repurposed shipping container, is packed full of backpacks ranging in sizes for kids aged 0 to 17 years old.
"This allows us to provide the resources that we have for kids in crisis 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Backpacks 4 VIC Kids chief executive Sally Beard said.
"Services like child protection, emergency care, and protective services can access these when the kids need it most, and that's usually during the night-time on a night that might be the darkest night of their lives."
More than 1100 Bendigo kids supported
In the last financial year, Backpacks 4 VIC Kids supplied packs to more than 1100 children in Bendigo, before the site had opened.
"We're able to now pack 240 packs within 48 hours due to the amount of stock that we have now on hand and our amazing volunteers," Ms Beard said.
Backpacks varied from school essentials packs, to Christmas toy packs, to rough sleeper and disaster relief packs, allowing service providers to choose the most appropriate bag.
"Workers who are providing that care and protection don't have to wait until we're on site and open... they're able to come and get what's needed straight away," Ms Beard said.
Easy to access backpacks 'make a difference'
Ambulance Victoria's community engagement officer for Lodden Mallee Rhiannon Kelly said the initiative could be a major difference-maker for children in crisis.
"Often we don't have the things [vulnerable children] need with us, apart from the medical treatment," she said.
"Sometimes it's not just about clinical medical treatment that they need, it's about that emotional support and just the way that they need to feel that they're being looked after.
"It's really important to have that early... often by the time we take them to a hospital and other services are contacted, it can be a lot of hours between that.
"I think this would make a really good difference to be able to provide that informal support for them."
Donations can be made via the backpacks4vickids.org.au website, or by calling the Bendigo tiny site contact Dot on 0408 590 087.
The Bendigo location was the seventh Backpacks 4 VIC Kids tiny site in the state, with one also established in Rochester.
Jonathon Magrath
Jonathon has been living and working in Bendigo since March 2021, currently working as a general reporter. Contact him on jonathon.magrath@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Jonathon has been living and working in Bendigo since March 2021, currently working as a general reporter. Contact him on jonathon.magrath@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
