KidsCan feeds 6000 families across NZ

Thursday, 12 December 2024

As the temperature soared to 27C in Christchurch, staff and teachers of Hagley Community Preschool began to unpack 1152kg worth of food they received from KidsCan.

The groceries were made into food parcels on Wednesday, weighing 32kg each, for 36 families in the preschool’s community.

KidsCan sent out $1.4m worth of food for about 6000 families across New Zealand. It was the first time in the organisation’s nearly 20-year history it was able to do so.

Hagley Community preschool was one of 14 early childhood centres across Christchurch receiving a truckload of food.

One mother picking up her 2-year-old daughter said the food parcel was “pretty amazing”, especially at this time of year.

“I wasn’t going to buy my family any gifts because I can’t afford it. Things are a bit tight at the end of the year so this is incredible,” she said.

KidsCan also provided each child at the preschool with gumboots, coats, shoes and socks each year, as well as groceries for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea every day, said Tracy Summerton, the preschool’s director.

One family said they had been in tears when they found out they would be receiving a parcel, she said.

A large portion of the families at the preschool were refugees who had just been settled into the community.

Because many of them didn’t have transport, teachers went to hand-deliver parcels at the end of the day.

“This is something else that we can send out to our community that’s really needed, particularly at this time of year,” she said.

The 32kg worth of food in each box ranged from whole chickens, lamb and vegetables to shortbread, apple juice and fresh punnets of strawberries.

“It’s nice there is a balance in there. There are some treats in there too, it’s not all fruit and veg, there’s some things that they can have that they might not normally purchase for their families,” Summerton said.

Kayleigh Hall, mum of 16-month-old Liam, had collected her food parcel to give to somebody else who needed it.

She said she was planning to drop it at her workplace’s collection for the Christchurch City Mission.

As a mental health worker she heard about the struggles leading up to Christmas.

“You just want to be able to help them all but obviously you can’t. So we’re just trying to do what we can.”

The food parcel initiative was made possible by the support of philanthropists Graeme and Robyn Hart.

In 2025, KidsCan is extending its regular food programme to 10,000 more preschoolers in poverty through $4m of Government funding a year. About 150 schools and early childhood centres will still be waiting for support.