1 in 6 Australian children live in poverty.

Unbelievable! A statistic that sends shivers down the spine.

But considering the rising cost of living, socio-economic disadvantages and family violence, it may not be so surprising.

The heartbreaking part is that early childhood is crucial for kids to learn, develop, and grow.

99% of a child’s brain development happens before age 5.

And if children don’t have their developmental needs met, it can impact their future health and development.

Luckily there are big-hearted organisations, like Big Group Hug, that give every child the best start in life.

How?

Big Group Hug makes it their mission to support disadvantaged families, stating that the desire for “every child who lives in poverty to feel the warmth of [Big Group Hug’s] collective hug” is what drives them.

At socks.com.au, we share Big Group Hug's passion for supporting our community, which made us excited to join their campaign and contribute to their mission.

Who is Big Group Hug? And why are they on a mission to support vulnerable children?

Big Group Hug a grassroots not-for-profit. Based in Melbourne, Big Group Hug helps solve child poverty “one donation at a time”.

Big Group Hug's mission is simple - to mobilise community support to respond to the immediate needs of young people, particularly vulnerable children and their families.

Their vision of achieving that is by working together to protect every young person in Australia from the adverse effects of disadvantage.

The Big Group Hug ‘village’ consists of kind and caring people ‘from all walks of life’ committed to helping children thrive. Founder Angela Wood is a mother of three herself and “believes that all children have the universal right to be safe and nurtured and to have access to the immediate and essential things”.

Thanks to the team’s undying commitment, Big Group Hug has helped 4,271 children in 2022 (financial year) alone. This includes 7,089 items of clothing and shoes.

This year they created a campaign to receive 10,000 new PJs, Jocks and Socks items - and we’re excited to be a part of it.

How does Big Group Hug operate?

Big Group Hug is a grassroots not-for-profit supporting local communities to address child poverty. They provide essential items like clothing, underwear, socks, books and bathroom supplies to help vulnerable children all around Australia.

Typically Maternal and Child Health Nurses will get in touch with Big Group Hug to request some basic necessities for disadvantaged children and families. The package is then prepared and packaged by Big Group Hug, and the Maternal Health Nurse will deliver it or let the family know it can be picked up.

Most of the items Big Group Hug gives to families in need are kindly donated by other families, organisations and businesses like socks.com.au.

                         

Why socks.com.au decided to donate socks to Big Group Hug

Our General Manager, Karen Lawler, always looks for opportunities to make an impact. She recognises that “children are the future of any society”. She comments, "as a business, we want to create a positive social impact and contribute to the well-being of our community.”

“By supporting children and families in need, we can try and help break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities for children to succeed in life”, Karen points out.

It’s no wonder the partnership between Big Group Hug and Bellview (socks.com.au parent company) came to fruition naturally after a friend recommended the Big Group Hug organisation to Karen.

Maria, Big Group Hug Fundraising and Communications Manager, confirmed that it was socks.com.au’s “focus on sustainability and an ethical supply chain” aligned with their “own goals to protect the environment”.

On top of helping vulnerable children, Big Group Hug also diverts copious amounts of waste being thrown into landfill by redirecting it into the hands of families in need. HOW MUCH WASTE DIVERTED

Helping solve a social and environmental issue all at once. “Together as a community, if we all play our part, we can preserve the world for future generations.”

The extensive range of Kids’ Socks we contributed

Big Group Hug “asked for socks for children aged 16 and under, and the socks.com.au team kindly packaged up a variety of styles and sizes for us,” comments Maria.

The socks.com.au’s kids' socks range includesschool socks, sports socks, cotton novelty socks, fun socks with animals, dinosaurs and monsters, bamboo socks and more!

All our socks are designed in-house in Australia from top-quality materials. We choose (when possible) to source environmentally friendly materials like the socks fromBetter Cotton Initiative (BCI) Cotton - which protects the people and environment involved in the production of the material.

The impact of the Big Group Hug and socks.com.au partnership is making on Kids’ lives

More and more families have turned to Big Group Hug for assistance. One key reason is the rising cost of living over the last year.

Thanks to the team’s hard work and the generosity of many others, Big Group Hug has already supported 802 families and 1,353 children from January to March of this year.

The newly opened Airport West Hub has made that possible to help even more “vulnerable families in Melbourne’s western suburbs where socio-economic disadvantage is prevalent, due to high and increasing domestic violence, poverty, school overcrowding, and unemployment” (Big Group Hug team).

From the last financial year to this year, Big Group Hug is projected to “double their material aid”.

And they have no plans to slow down now.

Learn more and get involved

To discover more about Big Group Hug's wonderful work for Aussie kids, check out their annual report,click here for the website, and follow their journey on Instagram and Facebook.