A hand-up to give kids some pride
This winter, children’s charity Variety faces unprecedented demand for warm clothes, shoes and beds from Kiwi families in hardship. Isaac Davison spoke with families about how they got here, what they need and how people can help
Every weekday for the past 20 years, Charlotte Sorenson has popped into the same St Heliers bakery on the way to work.
She picks up leftover bread for students at Pt England School, where she is the executive officer.
It is a Decile One school for years one to eight students which does not ask parents for fees. Every day, a few children turn up without lunches.
“We make up a box of cut-ups and pizza breads and put them out for afternoon tea,” Sorenson says.
“The little ones will come because they’re sent by their teacher. The older ones won’t come because they’re a bit ashamed.”
Pt England School has referred more students to children’s charity Variety than any other in the country — around 100 in the past six years.
This is partly because of the school’s enthusiasm for supporting its students in and out of class. It also reflects the area’s demographics.
Most of the students come from the eastern side of Glen Innes, where the median household income is $19,400.
Pacific families are the biggest ethnic group, and many of the kids’ families live in state houses.
Sorenson and a special needs teacher, Chris Bush, look out for signs of hardship among the students and The essentials Costly rents Damp housing Keeping warm Sponsoring kids Charlotte Sorenson
their parents. “We’re talking about students who turn up on a day like today, it’s not warm, and they haven’t got a sweatshirt,” Sorenson says. The sun is pouring across Pt England Reserve into classroom windows but it’s crisp, around 12C.
“We say ‘Where’s your sweatshirt?’ And we get ‘I haven’t got one’.”
Bush is what is known as a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) and often makes home visits, which she says gives her some insight into families’ living conditions.
“We know the children that are struggling,” she says. “We know the ones that don’t have a uniform.”
The school does not get caught up on boundaries between classroom and home, between where the state ends and where family life begins.
“We don’t really have a limit,” Sorenson says.
“We are not just here for education. We are here for social reasons as well. Often we are not just educating the children, we are educating the whole family.”
When a child meets the hardship criteria for Variety sponsorship, they are added to the waiting list. With 400 people on that list, the charity made a nationwide appeal this week for more donors.
Sponsorship is worth around $540 a year to a child, and it covers basic households items like warm clothes, dry shoes, and bedding.
It also pays for school resources like uniforms, rugby and netball fees, and school trips and camps.
Sorenson and Bush are unapologetic about using the funds for these purposes.
A proper uniform and inclusion in the school’s sports teams are vital to children’s self-esteem and their feeling of fitting in, Bush says.
It becomes very apparent who is in hardship if three children from the same family can’t go on a $15 trip to Motat.
“People will read this and go ‘It’s another handout’. But you will be amazed the difference it makes to
$8
can buy four pairs of winter socks
can buy a wool beanie can buy a polar fleece blanket can buy flannelette pyjamas can buy a pair of lace-up shoes can buy a waterproof jacket can provide help with doctor visits and healthcare costs
can provide a winter bedding pack for one child
can buy a child their own bed can buy bunk beds for two siblings
The series
Often we are not just educating the children, we are educating the whole family.
have a child in a proper uniform.
“And actually what we notice, a spinoff we didn’t plan, was that it has taught our parents a little bit about planning and budgeting.”
Most of the Variety families are sponsored throughout their school years and do not reach a point where they no longer need it.
It does, however, alleviate material hardship, give kids more confidence, and makes them “school ready”.
Brothers Jabal, 7, and Jaxson, 5, are among the 70 Pt England students who are currently being sponsored. They are part of a family of six who live in a state house nearby.
The father works and the mother has decided to stay home until the children are older.
“I would call them a very functional family who are striving to be better,” Sorenson says. “They are trying to better themselves but are struggling with poverty.”
The boys are shy, but beam with pride when asked about their smart uniforms and their rugby teams.
“He wants to get a job so he can buy his mum and dad a house,” Sorenson says of Jabal.
“This is a family that’s in the right direction, and we’re just giving a helping hand to. A hand-up rather than a hand-out.”