Needy families struggling more so than others during the four-week coronavirus lockdown will today be surprised with packages containing two weeks worth of groceries.
Food banks in New Zealand's main centres have been bolstered by extra Government support, but there are families in need who fall outside that scope.
KidsCan is working to send out about 3000 packages of food and other essentials to help those families. Each pack should last a family of five two weeks.
KidsCan has reached out to low decile schools in areas outside main cities, who nominate families and whānau they know are in desperate need of support during the lockdown.
Huntly College deputy principal Sharon Moller is one of those lucky educators who will be making calls to those deserving families today.
She told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning many students throughout the country wake up in their own beds, with their own devices and with full fridges and pantries, but it just wasn't the case for many at her school.
"A number of our whānau live paycheck to paycheck and now there's the reality many will be losing their jobs," Ms Moller said.
"We have a lot of families living together, like two or three whānau in one house and within those bubbles there are some elderly who have underlying health conditions. So there's some anxiety around going into the main centre to access support, to get the food so having that barrier eliminated and food arriving on their doorstep is just phenomenal."
Forty families receiving those packages will be called by educators at Huntly College today.
Ms Moller said they don't want students "falling through the cracks", so as well as the packages for the most needy, the school also prepped students with physical learning packs and about half with internet connections, including 70 Chromebooks handed out.
"School is more than a place of learning, it's a place of safety, warmth, happiness, togetherness," Ms Moller said.
"School is very much their home and it's tough just over the two week school holiday period let alone a period of four weeks.
"It has been really hard on our community and our students so we cannot wait until the lockdown is lifted and we can go back to school."
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