New Whangārei early childhood centre's pataka kai to help feed Regent community

Whangārei Primary School pupils supporting the Geckos Early Learning Centre's new pataka kai are Eden Wood, Tayla Merritt, JJ Williams and Quintyn Mahanga-Edmonds, all 10.

A desire to help the less fortunate in its local community, and teach its children about caring and sharing are some of the reasons Whangārei's Geckos Early Learning Centre built a pataka kai.

The pataka kai community pantry was opened in the centre's Regent base this week by Mayor Sheryl Mai, with Whangārei MP Emily Henderson also on hand, and among the first people to fill it up were students from Whangārei Primary School.

Geckos Early Learning Centre kaiako Anneliese Stunzner said the pataka kai was for the local community to use.

As well, Stunzner said, it was a great way to teach the children about caring and sharing.

''Our kaupapa here is manaakitanga (extending love and compassion to others) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship or management) and an important part of that is the connection to our community,'' she said.

''We are already involved in community activities, including taking the children on rest home visits, and this is another part of that.''

The support from all, particularly the students from Whangārei Primary School, had been amazing and ensured the pataka kai was filled for its first few days.

''People are really struggling in our communities so we wanted a project to help bring our community together and also teach the children those important values.''

The pataka is the latest in a network of pataka kai - the Māori term for a food storehouse or pantry - being run across Northland and Stunzner hopes the latest pantry will rekindle the interest and ethos of all the pataka around Northland.

''(They are) a reminder of the desperate need that so many NZ families currently find themselves in, and a celebration of the kiwi 'get-in-and-lend-a-hand' identity,'' she said.