Rotorua Whangamarino School grateful for KidsCan support

KidsCan is calling on support from the public this winter. Photo / File

Free warm clothing couldn't come at a better time for Bay of Plenty schools as winter sets in across the region.

Students sometimes show up to class with broken or no shoes or no socks.

Whangamarino School principal Lorraine Northey says free fleece-lined coats, shoes and health products from KidsCan helped fill a "real need" in their community.

Northey said support from the charity had been "overwhelming" with children now bouncing into class "warm, cosy and ready to learn".

"Without KidsCan, we would have a lot of cold children. It makes a huge difference to their learning. The burden is gone," she said.

"It fills a hole in the community, and we couldn't do it ourselves."

The decile two school has a roll of 168.

"When they are warm, fed and have a sense of belonging they are happy kids in a happy environment. Our results reflect that their learning has taken off," she said.

Kidscan says it has more than 4000 children in 13 schools and 127 early childhood centres on its waitlist.

Chief executive officer Julie Chapman said winter is the toughest time of year for a child living in poverty.

"Many live in freezing homes where hot food and warm clothes are scarce.

"We are constantly expanding our programmes, but we are struggling to keep up with demand. We need help to reach those children on our waitlist who are in desperate need of support."

Research for KidsCan by Colmar Brunton found food insecurity was the biggest barrier to students attending, learning and participating at school.

Researchers found 99 per cent of all decile one to six primary and secondary schools in New Zealand witness children living in food insecurity and 73 per cent of decile one to six primary schools have children who don't go to school because food has run out at home.

KidsCan supported students in 829 schools with breakfast, snacks, hot meals, jackets, shoes and health items.

This winter, it was feeding thousands of children with hot lunches, reaching schools not covered by the government's Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme.

The charity was seeing record demand for fleece-lined jackets, with 60,000 students due to receive one this year.

"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," Chapman said.