One in six Australian children live in poverty. Considering the rising cost of living and socio-economic disadvantage, it may be less surprising than it sounds, and it is heartbreaking, because early childhood is crucial for kids to learn, develop and grow. Luckily there are big-hearted organisations, like Big Group Hug, working to give every child the best start in life. At socks.com.au we share their passion for supporting our community, which is why we were excited to join their campaign.
Who is Big Group Hug?
Big Group Hug is a Melbourne-based grassroots not-for-profit helping to solve child poverty one donation at a time. Their mission is to mobilise community support to respond to the immediate needs of vulnerable children and their families. Founded by Angela Wood, a mother of three, the organisation believes all children have the right to be safe, nurtured and to have access to essential things. In the 2022 financial year they helped 4,271 children, including 7,089 items of clothing and shoes.
How Big Group Hug operates
They provide essential items like clothing, underwear, socks, books and bathroom supplies to vulnerable children across Australia. Maternal and Child Health Nurses request necessities for families in need, and Big Group Hug prepares and delivers the packages. Most items are donated by families, organisations and businesses like socks.com.au.
Why we donated
Our General Manager, Karen Lawler, always looks for opportunities to make an impact, noting that children are the future of any society and that the business wants to create positive social impact. The partnership between Big Group Hug and Bellview (the socks.com.au parent company) came together naturally, helped by a shared focus on sustainability and an ethical supply chain.
The kids' socks we contributed
Big Group Hug asked for socks for children aged 16 and under, and the team packaged a variety of styles and sizes, including school socks, sports socks, cotton novelty socks, fun animal and dinosaur designs and bamboo socks. All our socks are designed in-house in Australia from top-quality materials, using Better Cotton Initiative cotton where possible.
The impact
More families have turned to Big Group Hug as the cost of living rises. From January to March, they supported 802 families and 1,353 children, helped by the newly opened Airport West hub serving Melbourne's western suburbs. To learn more, visit the Big Group Hug website and follow their journey on social media.