Mount Gambier Marketplace is backing “Each Step I Take” – a charity organisation run by local woman Christie Fuller that assembles and distributes “Kid’s Essentials Backpacks”.

These care packages contain essential and comforting items for children from families in the community who need some extra help.

Kid’s Essentials Backpacks are filled with clothing, pyjamas, underwear, toiletries, toys, books and school supplies to support local children in emergency housing, foster and displaced children, and those from disadvantaged homes.

Miss Fuller has made around 350 backpacks since she started in conjuction with Four Reasons Why in 2018 but is now venturing off on her own for the first time.

Even though it is early days, she is thankful for the generosity of the local community including donations of toiletries from local Lions clubs and 50 ‘trauma teddies’ from Red Cross.

Miss Fuller said she decided to make the backpacks due to personal experience.

“I have been in a women’s refuge three times and know how it feels to have nothing,” she said.

“My hope is to provide kids and babies in need a backpack of their own filled with essential items like toiletries, clothes, pyjamas and a teddy to help them in the first 24 hours of being in emergency care.”

Marketplace Mount Gambier marketing manager Paula Creasy has praised the Mount Gambier community for their generosity and support in their previous initiatives hoping it will continue for Miss Fuller.

“We hope we can smash all our records for Christie,” she said.

“Christie came to us with her fantastic initiative, and we are very excited to be able to get behind it and help out.

“We’re very big on community sustainability so taking part in community involvement activities and helping out in the areas in the community that need it is very important to us.

“It’s vital for those that can help to be able to help and it’s really just facilitating donations to the community.”

People wanting to donate can drop off backpacks and required items (listed below) into the collection bin located outside Big W.

Financial donations can be made via the Each Step I Take Go Fund Me Page.

Required Items:

Clothes, pyjamas, underwear, socks, shoes, shampoo & conditioner, soap, body wash, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving accessories, sanitary items, hair brushes, hair accessories, makeup, skincare, notepads, pens/pencils/ textas, stationery items, lunchboxes & drink bottles, toys, books and soft teddies.