Intense flooding rocked the region of Northern Adelaide in early October, leaving thousands of families requiring relief.
Hearing stories about the relief efforts, Gallagher Bassett, who provide workers’ compensation services to many Northern Adelaide employers, got in touch with Minister Leesa Vlahos, Member for Taylor, to discuss the GB Gentle Bear program which provides teddy bears to children suffering in traumatic circumstances.
Ms Vlahos offered full support for the program and promptly arranged for a delivery of bears to Virginia Primary School and to the Red Cross volunteers at the Virginia Recovery Centre.
Paul Easter, GB’s Executive Director, Product Development and Emma Hosking, GB Project Manager attended the Virginia Primary School and Recovery Centre where they introduced the Gentle Bear and spoke of the story behind it.
The impact of the Gentle Bears was felt immediately.
Deputy Principal Voula Pounendis was storing the bears in her office, when a student came to speak to her regarding some problems that she was facing. Needing to help another student back to class, Voula checked that the student would be ok to be left alone in the office for a moment.
Upon her return, Voula found the child hugging a bear that had been sitting on a box in the office, and the child had tears running down her face.
‘I was lost for words’, explains Voula.
‘The student asked me where the bear had come from, and I explained about the Gentle Bear program. “The person who thought of this is truly amazing”, the student said, before suggesting that we have a few bears in the counselling room’.
‘I experienced firsthand just how quickly the bears can make a difference in a student’s life’.
GB’s Paul Easter was touched by the response.
“We’ve distributed thousands of bears across the globe through the Gentle Bear Program and I’m still overwhelmed by the positive effect and comfort Gentle Bear brings to children suffering from a traumatic experience.”
Minister Leesa Vlahos
GB delivers Gentle Bears to Virginia Primary School