School keeps hungry kids happy
After quietly going about filling the empty tummies of hungry pupils, a Nelson school has received a welcome boost to its efforts helping feed its community.
Tapawera Area School, about 50km south of Nelson, became a new KidsCan school this term with its first supply of food arriving as children returned to class this week.
A foodbank in Tapawera over lockdown showed the need in the community with about 400 parcels given out in three weeks. The foodbank was still in operation, run jointly by a handful of locals in collaboration with Nelsonbased food initiative Kai With Love.
Principal Kelvin Woodley said the school, like many others around New Zealand, had a small number of kids among its 186-strong roll who turned up to class with no food for the day.
‘‘We’ve chosen not to take an overt approach to it but instead keep it on the lowdown – I expect my staff to know their kids and if they become aware that someone is in need we don’t make a fuss, we will just take them into space and feed them.
‘‘Up until then we just used our own resources, which came and went – sometimes we had enough, sometimes we would send someone down to the Four Square rather than see kids hungry.’’
Woodley said while the further effect of the lockdown on children at his school would not be known for another week, the assistance from KidsCan with food and clothing would provide valuable assistance for children and families in the district.
Woodley was also already having conversations with parents whose financial situations had ‘‘become a little tighter’’.
Kai With Love Founder Stephen Dunne said there had been a concerted effort by the local team in going door to door or providing parcels for collection, all of which had provided timely assistance to families during a difficult period.
KidsCan has seen a 30 per cent increase in demand for food support, as its partner schools seek to feed 10,000 more children a day. This term, the charity will help feed almost 44,000 children in 787 schools and 57 early childhood centres nationwide.
KidsCan chief executive Julie Chapman said for many children, lockdown would have been an incredibly rough time, with not enough food to go around at home.
People can donate at: Kidscan.org.nz