The charity helping high school kids focus on ‘kids stuff’

Monday, 3 February 2025

Kelly Jennings, deputy principal of Stratford High School, says jackets, shoes and food donated by KidsCan charity helps her students stick to worrying about “kids stuff”.

For six weeks over the summer holidays Stratford High School deputy principal Kelly Jennings worries about her students. All the teachers do, she says.

“We do wonder, are they gonna be OK? If we're the ones providing their meals for some of these kids, you know, are they getting regular meals? Are they warm? Are they dry, you know, those kinds of things,” she said.

Though the Taranaki school, with a growing roll of 670, is in the heart of prosperous rural area, Jennings (Te Atiawa) said there were many family’s struggling to buy enough to feed and clothe themselves.

This meant students might not come to school because they did not have the correct uniform, or where hungry then they did walk through the gates.

The high school is already part of the healthy school lunches programme, but last year it also partnered with charity KidsCan, which supplies snacks, warm clothes and shoes to those who need it.

The black shoes are popular with students.

More than 200 schools across the country are already signed up with the charity and there are a further 71 on the waiting list. Two more schools in Taranaki are starting with KidsCan this year.

In Stratford, even after one term, it was making a difference, Jennings said.

“More kids will be able to come to school, not having to worry about where their next meal is coming from, if they have shoes, whether they will be warm.

“They should just worry about doing their homework and you know, their friendships. That's it. They shouldn't be worrying about that stuff,” she said.

More than 200 schools across the country partner with the charity.

The shoes and jackets are provided to those who need them, while the snacks are placed around the school, free for anyone to grab.

“The kids love it. Of course, they’re teenagers. They love free food.”

Many also need it.

Not only does the school provide breakfast and lunch, any food left over is also available to take home.

For some kids this ensures they will have something to eat for dinner. For some parents too, said Jennings, who knew of occasions where parents had gone hungry so their children could eat.

Jennings said there was similar issues with poverty in Auckland, where she had also taught, but there was often greater whānau support available there.

In Stratford, many families were trying to cope by themselves, with no-one to turn to when the money or food ran out.

“Stratford is a great community, they really do come together,” she said.

“But yeah, there are those ones that are doing it hard out here and it's nice that we can bring them back and make sure that they're able to come to school without worrying about any of that stuff that they shouldn't have to worry about,” she said.

Students around the maunga began returning to school last week with all students back this week.

Last year, Stats NZ estimated about one in ten children in New Zealand (9.4%) lived in households experiencing persistent poverty.

Poverty was defined as ‘children living in households with less than 60% of the median household equivalised disposable income before housing costs are deducted (relative rate), in the current year and for at least two of the previous three years.

Donations can be made to KidsCan at www.kidscan.org.nz.