Trauma Teddies: How Red Cross provides comfort during disasters

After Cyclone Serjoa hit WA, Australia Post helped deliver Red Cross' Trauma Teddies to children in impacted areas. The Trauma Teddies program rests on the shoulders of an army of Red Cross volunteers and we are proud to support them.

When a paramedic in NSW noticed the comfort that teddy bears gave children during emergencies, he asked his mother—a volunteer with Red Cross—if she could make some for them to keep on hand in the ambulances. That was back in 1990, and they had no idea that they were launching a program that would help over a million children, teens and adults—and counting.

The Red Cross Trauma Teddies program has become one of the most recognised symbols of this organisation that provides practical assistance during the hardest times in people’s lives in Australia. The teddies are testament to the power of the simple things in life, having made all the difference for those facing challenges ranging from broken arms to natural disasters, and everything in between.

Whenever disaster strikes, Australia Post and Red Cross are there to support and help communities get back on their feet.

“The teddies give love”

Like all Red Cross initiatives, the Trauma Teddy program relies on a number of dedicated volunteers to make a difference.

Anne Macarthur AM has been with Red Cross for 70 years, having joined as a junior member when she was just 10 years old.

With five decades at the same branch, Lindenow & District Red Cross, Anne has taken on many roles including fundraising, chairman, public speaking, branch member duties, and is now an Honorary Life Member. Over the years  she has mostly focused on emergency services work at the relief centre, which involves “, registration, and psychological first aid, which is incredibly important,” she says.

Psychological first aid is a big part of helping people during what may be the toughest time of their life. Anne says, “I spent quite a lot of time at the relief centre in Bairnsdale during the recent bushfires, and many of the people coming into the relief centre had their homes burnt and they'd lost all their possessions. It was really important that we knew how to talk with them, help them as much as we could, and how to assess whether they needed particular help at that stage.”

Anne says the Trauma Teddy program is part of this psychological assistance. “They're very special, the teddies,” she explains, “and you see that particularly following floods and fires and other emergencies. The teddies are knitted with love and they give love.”

These teddies are simple, handmade treasures that stand the test of time. “I know from parents and grandparents that quite often the Trauma Teddy is a child's favourite toy despite owning all sorts of sophisticated toys,” Anne says. And they’re delivered to children, teens and adults in communities around Australia, as well as overseas.”

As a logistics provider during disasters, Australia Post has partnered with Red Cross for many years. In 2020, we became a proud National Community Partner of Red Cross and together, we’re working to support people in Australia during hard times.

Anne says that she’s proud of this partnership between Red Cross and Australia Post. “They are both outstanding organisations, and I think we complement each other to support communities, and particularly those affected by disasters.”

Helping children, teens, adults and medical staff

When Helen Sutton was nearing retirement, she checked the local paper for organisations that needed volunteers. “The Red Cross meeting was the first advertised meeting to take place, so along I went,” she says.

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