Seeing a family of ten living in a tent and a child who lived in a house with 25 people has shocked a group of local teenagers into action.
Noticing first hand some of the extreme poverty that some children at Merivale Primary School were experiencing galvanised eight students from Aquinas College to deliver care packages, lunches and household items to the school.
"When we saw the tent where people were all living it shocked us all. We had been looking at homelessness in class...reading the recent newspaper articles, but even when you read the statistics to see it first hand really brought home how much of an issue it is, that people in our own community are living in Third World conditions," said Lauren Russo, 16.
Merivale principal Jan Tinetti said poverty and homelessness had been an ongoing struggle for some students but had got significantly worse in the last six months.
"Families are being hit hard, yes we have one where 25 live in one house. More families are doubling up, and landlords are increasing the rent. We have three families currently in motel rooms desperate to find accommodation."