Christmas Appeal: Merivale student leaders organise collection for Tauranga’s foodbank

Merivale School student Korurangi Morehu,11, helped organise this year’s Christmas donation to the foodbank. Photo / Mead Norton

A Tauranga school is paying it forward through a donation of about 200 items to the Community Foodbank.

The initiative, organised by Merivale School student leaders, saw children come together last Friday for an activities-filled day where they could dress up in non-uniform if they donated a non-perishable item.

Student ambassadors Korurangi Morehu and K-Jharn, both in Year 6, agreed it was important the school community showed support for the foodbank.

“We did it to help the poor,” said 11-year-old Korurangi.

K-Jharn said the foodbank’s warehouse manager Jordy Gastmeier was his mentor and he just “wanted to help her out”.

“Help people when you can because they might need it,” he said.

The two friends also organised another schoolwide collection for the foodbank in Term 2.

The school’s deputy principal Heather Langley, who worked with the student ambassadors in organising the event, said they were donating four boxes to the foodbank - equating to about 200 food items.

“It’s giving back to the community because the community give us a lot. We are paying it forward.”

She said Friday’s event had a “carnival atmosphere” with almost 100 per cent of students participating.

“You have to instil that social conscience in students. And I think we do that really well here. It’s not all about them.”

School principal Tom Paekau said this collection was an opportunity for a school that “often receives support to be able to return that support back to the community”.

It also taught children empathy and about working towards a shared goal, he said.

“It was a really big deal that it was student-led. They decided ‘we should be able to give back as well’. Everybody got behind it.

“And at Christmas time when the foodbank reserves are often low. It’s good they can see that there is a need.”