For some of us, winter is a great time of year. We love to rug up in our cozy clothes on crisp mornings. And at the end of each day, we look forward to sitting by a roaring fire with a warm meal.
But for some of our tamariki, winter isn't cosy and dry. Many children don't go to school or kindy on rainy days because they don’t have warm clothes and shoes and if they do, they arrive cold, wet and miserable.
KidsCan hear lots of stories like this from schools and early childhood centres. “Teachers are finding children in shoes patched with cardboard, tape and staples. They say socks have become “a luxury.” They tell us of children sleeping in their jackets to keep warm in freezing homes,” KidsCan’s CEO Julie Chapman says. “It’s awful to think of kids going without the basics – and it’s up to all of us to help those who are finding life pretty tough this winter.”
We hear you, Julie. That's why, here at Meridian, we’re proud of the difference that KidsCan is making to those kids in need. This winter, KidsCan is on a mission to help another 4,000 kids who need their support.
KidsCan already supports students in 829 schools and 112 early childhood centres with food, jackets, shoes, and health items. And there's more to come this winter:
- KidsCan will provide warm lunches to thousands of children whose schools aren't covered by the Government’s Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme.
- Around 60,000 kids are also due to receive fleece-lined jackets – a record demand.
- The younger ones don't miss out either. They’ll also receive fresh daily lunches and snacks in the first programme of its kind in the country.
We’re stoked to announce that, through their winter campaign in June, KidsCan has signed up hundreds of kids with the help of generous donations.
Their job isn’t over yet though and KidsCan still has so many little ones on their waitlist. No child should go without. If you’d like to help, go to kidscan.org.nz to donate.