Cuddle Bundles, a worthy program of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia (NCJWA NSW), held a special event to celebrate its impact on making a difference for mums and babies, both locally and abroad. It was a joyous occasion with guests treated to the stunning Sydney CBD skyline from a Meriton top floor penthouse situated in Bondi Junction.
The evening featured a display of Cuddle Bundles gift packs, showing the generous quantity and quality of the contents that make up every Cuddle Bundle individually and carefully packed by volunteers. The bundles are a curated mix of pre-loved and new essential items that are donated by the local community and given to vulnerable mothers. These mums, women escaping domestic violence, new refugees, or suffering from poverty or mental illness who need that extra helping hand to provide for their babies, are referred to Cuddle Bundles by social workers from hospitals, and other organisations with whom Cuddle Bundles work. These Cuddle Bundles alleviate some of the financial and emotional burden of being a parent, and as articulated by Ella Lizor, Cuddle Bundles co-chair, “Our mission is to make the lives of mums and babies safer, healthier, and happier.”
Cuddle Bundles founder and chair, Michele Brandenburger, coming from South Africa, was well aware of the appalling conditions many new mums back there faced, having nothing for their babies, and often leaving the clinics with their babies wrapped in newspaper, and felt it would be wonderful to give new life to hardly used, outgrown babywear in excellent condition, by sending these to mums and babies who needed them, thereby making a small difference in their lives. “While our first overseas deliveries were to South Africa, we have also responded to callouts whenever possible, from bushfires to floods in NSW, and Mozambique, to First Nations communities in the Northern Territory, to the Congo, to India, Nepal and to an orphanage in Ethiopia. Just this week we partnered with Med Earth, Smart Aid and the Angels Network, to send urgently needed boxes of kids clothing and toys to earthquake victims in Turkiye.”
President of NCJWA NSW, Maxine Bachmayer spoke of the centenary year of the organisation and their important contributions to the local community and outreach abroad. She listed their programs such as Mum for Mum which boasts 180 volunteers assisting 250 families a year, as well as the newer programs Days for Girls, ‘Empower Her’ Youth Committee, Tikva V’Or Breast Cancer Network and Cuddle Bundles.
All guests enjoyed coming together to be thanked and treated to a special evening where they could grow their networks of like-minded charities, and see their impact reflected back when three recipient mums; refugees Christina from Ukraine, Nooria from Afghanistan and a local First Nations mother in a rehabilitation shelter, bravely spoke on video, to share their stories and thank all those who had come together to support them, and their children, during a difficult period in their lives.
Guests ranged from Cuddle Bundles’ partner charities Jarrah House, Royal Hospital for Women, Jewish House (Rabbi Kastell), WAGEC (Womens and Girls Emergency Centre), Kooloora Community Centre, Smart Aid (headed by Alethea Gold) and Angels Network, to donors such as Redsbaby and Childsmart. We were honoured to have the support of politicians such as candidate Karen Freyer, independent federal member for Vaucluse, and senior electorate officer to the Hon. Marjorie O’Neill MP for Coogee, Trish McAloon. The executive board of the National Council of Women of Australia NSW were in attendance as also Cuddle Bundles volunteers.
Learn more at: www.cuddlebundles.org.au
Get Social