School lunches to balls: Kai Kitchen is fairy godmother for local teens

Selena Sparkes (17) went to her high school ball with help from The Cinderella Project. Photo / Poihakena Portraits - Gareth Ratahi

Tight finances shouldn't mean teenagers miss out on their school ball, says Rochelle Steer of the Kai Kitchen Trust.

"The ball is part of high school life and it isn't an event teens really want to miss out on. It's a lasting memory for them. But the expense that comes with going can just be too high for some families."

The belief that school balls are an important part of a teen's schooling inspired Rochelle to create The Cinderella Project, getting high school students to the ball.

The Cinderella Project is one of many ways the Kai Kitchen Trust helps children with their schooling needs.

The trust also provides school lunches and helps pay for uniforms and school camps where needed, as well as providing Easter eggs and Christmas presents to children in homes where those items aren't a given.

"Once we have come into an area to provide school lunches, children in the district can also access the other help we have available as well."

With Rochelle's team of volunteers now providing lunches for kids in need in the Stratford area, the Cinderella Project will help up to eight students attend the Stratford High School ball in June this year.

"The Cinderella Project doesn't just provide a dress or suit for the night, it is the whole package. We organise a magical makeover at a special location, where they have hair and makeup done, get dressed, have professional photographs taken. We have food organised for them while they are getting ready, we purchase the ticket for them, and we arrange their transport to the ball. All they have to organise and cover is transport home at the end of the night."

Students are nominated by their school for the programme, and Rochelle says students can only go through the Cinderella Project once.

"So if they do it when they are in year 12, they aren't eligible in year 13. This way we can help the maximum number of students each year."

Since bringing the lunch programme to Stratford, the Kai Kitchen trust volunteers have been even busier than before, now providing lunches to children at 16 schools in the areas they cover.

"We're currently making between 30 and 40 lunches a day for kids in the Stratford district, and that number will likely increase during the year. The first and last terms are the quietest points for us."

It is thanks to generous support from the community that the Kai Kitchen trust can do so much for children in need, says Rochelle.

"People can help in a variety of ways. For example, we have launched the adopt-a-lunch scheme, where people can pay $5 a week, which helps provides a lunch for a child in their community every school day."

The Cinderella Project also needs support, she says.

"We are putting a call out for people to help, be it by financial donation towards the cost - we need about $3,500 if we are to pay for all the services used on the day, or people offering their professional services - hairdressers, makeup artists, photographers. There's lots of ways people can help."

● If you would like to get involved or help in some way, you can contact Rochelle through the Kai Kitchen Website: www.thekaikitchen.co.nz or though social media: www.facebook.com/TheKaiKitchen