Richmond’s preferred charity partner, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation packed its 50,000^th Buddy Bag today (Wednesday, October 22).

The Buddy Bags, distributed to children entering emergency care such as refuges and foster homes, often arrive with nothing but the clothes they are wearing, as they have no time to pack a bag before escaping a violent situation.

Buddy Bags are filled with personal items such as toiletries, pyjamas, underwear, a pillowcase, a teddy bear and a book, to provide children with a sense of safety and security when they need it most.

Dr Judith Slocombe, CEO of The Alannah and Madeline Foundation said Buddy Bags are a simple, but vitally important component of the Foundation’s work in keeping children safe from violence.

“It sounds like such a simple idea, but receiving a Buddy Bag helps make a very traumatic experience a little easier for children to endure and also commences the recovery process by showing children there is someone out there who cares for them,” she said.

The 50,000^th Buddy Bag was packed by Target Australia Managing Director, Stuart Machin and the founding patron of The Foundation, Walter Mikac, the father of Alannah and Madeline Mikac, who were tragically killed in the Port Arthur massacre along with their mother in 1996.

Richmond has partnered with The Alannah and Madeline Foundation for three years, supporting the charity in a number of programs and initiatives including the Better Buddies Framework, the Stand Up for Our Kids campaign and fundraising.

To find out more, or to support The Alannah and Madeline Foundation and its Buddy Bag program, click here.

Dan Jackson and Dylan Grimes pack Buddy Bags at The Alannah and Madeline Foundation earlier this year