Marketing takes a pause for a good cause

The team rolled up their sleeves and donated their time to two good causes.

Written by Medibank

2 May 2017 •3 min read

On Friday 28th April, two volunteer-based charity organisations spent the morning at Medibank Place, so that the Marketing team could donate their time to people in need.

The first, Trauma Teddy™, is run by the Red Cross. Every year thousands of these knitted teddies are given away to children who need support. They might be affected by disaster such as fires or floods, or just in need of a little extra TLC. The simple gift of a Trauma Teddy™ lets them know that they are not alone.

The teddies are completely hand-crafted, and every single one is unique. The body for the teddy is knitted by a volunteer. Then, it’s the job of teddy makers to sew them together, stuff them, stitch on a smiling face, and add a Red Cross label.

This was the first time that some of the team had picked up a needle! Luckily, there were lots of helpers on hand, and it was a great activity, which worked really well for crafters of all levels. Brand Specialist, James Timms, who helped to organise the morning, said: “Getting out of my comfort zone and sewing for the first time was a little nerve-wracking, however the sense of accomplishment I felt when putting together the teddies was worth it. I loved seeing the team bond, have a laugh, and ultimately, give back to those less fortunate”.

“If a simple cheese sandwich is enough to keep one child focussed through the school day, then I’d happily wrap another 500!”

Eat Up, the second charity, also works to help kids who are having a tough time. Every morning, one in eight children will turn up at school hungry. This is an average of three kids per classroom. This impacts their ability to concentrate, and means they’re more likely to disrupt those around them. The simple act of providing a lunch has a huge impact on these kids, their classmates and their teachers. Since 2013, Eat Up has delivered over 34,000 lunches to schools around Melbourne.

In the 90 minute sandwich-making session, the Medibank team made 500 sandwiches. Cheese is the most popular choice for the kids, followed by Vegemite. The sandwiches are distributed to participating schools, where they are frozen and given to children as needed. Health Content Producer, Michael Bernard, who was on Glad Wrap duty, said: “To learn that there are so many kids in our own neighbourhood that aren’t sure where their next meal is coming from was very shocking. If a simple cheese sandwich is enough to keep one child focussed through the school day, then I’d happily wrap another 500!”

It was incredible to see how much good could be done in just two hours, with 500 sandwiches, and a large pile of teddies headed out the door. And all the hard work was well rewarded, by both the sense of a job well done, and a team barbeque for lunch.