Toni Watson, Vice President and Co-Founder of Bears of Hope, said that every year in Australia thousands of parents experience the loss of their precious baby.
"The donation by Newcastle Permanent staff will support some of these families through the hardest time of their life," she said.
"The donation of this cuddle cot today will provide grieving Upper Hunter families with uninterrupted time with their beautiful baby, allowing precious memories to be created that will stay with families forever.
"I cannot express my gratitude enough to the staff of Newcastle Permanent for their generosity and support of the work of Bears of Hope."
Kerry Dunn, Mobile Lending Manager for Newcastle Permanent, said that it was humbling to see the positive impact the CommunityAssist program could make to the local community.
"To see the impact our small fortnightly donation to the Staff Salary Donation program can make to our community—to grieving families—it makes it all worthwhile. To be able to help a family during what I can only imagine would be one of the most difficult times in their lives, well, it’s a pleasure that we can help in a small way."
In addition to the purchase of the cuddle cot, Bears of Hope also used the funds to support 140 families with a Bear of Hope support resources, instantly connecting parent with support, comfort, information, and guidance through creating memories with their baby before they leave hospital. The donation also has enabled counselling and a grief workshop to be offered to parents free of charge.