Community able to help keep Rotorua children toasty this winter with Give a Kid a Blanket Rotorua

Children from ABC Rotorua Sunset with some blankets they have collected. Photo / Supplied

The Rotorua community can contribute to keeping local tamariki in need toasty warm this winter through Give a Kid a Blanket Rotorua.

Collection points where the community is able to donate blankets are open around the city until May 26.

Give a Kid a Blanket Rotorua co-ordinator Debbie Cobby said they were well aware Rotorua could have some cold winters and there were a lot of families with children out there who did not have warm blankets.

"Just with circumstances, a lot of children are going cold in the winter."

She said Give a Kid a Blanket initially started in Auckland in 2015.

Cobby said she happened to see a Facebook page about it last year and thought it was a great thing, and that Rotorua had children in dire need as well.

She ran it in Rotorua last year in June for two weeks and 313 blankets were donated which she said was amazing.

It spread like wildfire and was humbling, she said.

Cobby said the blankets go to a number of charities and organisations in Rotorua which support the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children.

Some of the organisations last year included Plunket, Women's Refuge, Love Soup, Salvation Army, and Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children.

She thought it was great for the community to get behind and support those in need in the community, and bridge the gap.

"It's supporting a great cause and creating community connections."

Many of this year's collection points were childcare centres, schools, and youth organisations which she said created great lessons for children, helping their own generation.

"Something like this couldn't be done without the support of the volunteers and collectors so I am very grateful to them, and it couldn't be done without the generosity of the community and their spirit in getting behind it."

The charity doesn't have facilities to wash donated blankets so is looking for donations of new or excellent quality, clean second-hand blankets.

A list of collection points for donations is available at the Give a Kid a Blanket Rotorua Facebook page.

This is the fifth year of Give a Kid a Blanket.