All you need to know about this amazing charity, Backpacks for Vic Kids

‘When a child arrives with a nappy bag or backpack their carer can concentrate on making them feel safe, instead of having to rush to an all night supermarket for supplies.- Backpacks for Vic Kids

An amazing charity that facilitates in changing lives is Backpacks for Vic Kids. The amazing volunteers work together to provide backpacks for children entering Foster care.  Often, children arrive in emergency accommodation with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. This could be pyjamas or a school uniform. Backpacks for Vic Kids supply backpacks and nappy bags that are filled with essential items to help get displaced children through the first 48 hours of care. The packs include basic toiletries, clothing, pyjamas, a torch and extra love items such as soft toys, blankets and games to provide some comfort as they fall asleep in a stranger’s home.

Inspired and totally heartfelt by this organisation, Anita finds out more and how we can help contribute to making a difference to these beautiful children placed in foster care.

Why we got started

This video from Backpacks for Vic Kids, founder, Sally Beard, best shows how and why this foundation began and why they do what they do. It is a beautiful, heart warming story of  a lady named Caroline, who had been in foster care herself and through all the instability in her life, the one thing that she could hold and call her own was her backpack.  Filled with her own clothes, and everything that she had in the world, for Caroline, this was more then just a backpack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZd6Gdni0F0

What we do 

Backpacks for Vic Kids supply nappy bags and backpacks for newborn babies right through through to 18 years old. They call these “My Essentials” or ME packs. These are for children who are placed in out-of-home care or emergency accommodation.  Recently, they supplied some backpacks for kids in need in flood-ravaged Queensland.

Since 2015, Backpacks for Vic Kids  have supplied Victorian children with over 6,000 ME packs. In Australia, 45,000 children are placed in out-of-home care annually. 

These are the items that are packed in the backpacks below. When a child arrives with a nappy bag or backpack their carer can concentrate on making them feel safe, instead of having to rush to an all night supermarket for supplies. These items can provide security as they fall asleep in a new home.

How we can help

Backpacks for Vic Kids  rely on volunteers to pack the backpacks at their HQ based in Cranbourne. They are then dispatched throughout the state, namely regional Victoria by additional volunteers.

Any items that you have aged from newborn to 17 years of age gets included in a back pack that they will receive upon arriving. There are drop off points all around Victoria.  You can find the drop-off points here via their website.

You can also donate here.

Backpacks can be requested via the supply request form on the B4VK website. 

Backpacks for Vic Kids are able to provide these items thanks to generous donations from both individuals and Australian businesses.

Backpacks for Vic Kids also have other programs:

Christmas for Kids in Care

Backpacks for Vic Kids provide Christmas presents for children in out of home accommodation.

Foster Feet – fitting right in 

They also provide school shoes to children in out of home care thanks to our sponsors Batra.

If you would like to know more about Backpacks for Vic kids visit their website and see how you can get involved.  You can also follow their  Facebook page and Instagram for up-to-date news.