warming little hearts across NZ on first day of winter

Imagine being a new mother, taking your newborn from their safe environment of nine months, to the harsh reality of a cold, damp home wrapped in just a bed sheet.

With winter officially here, and 21 percent of low income households in New Zealand experiencing major difficulties heating and keeping homes warm, Spotlight and Warming Hearts have launched a joint campaign to keep Kiwi babies warm.

Warming Hearts Trust is a charity with a vision of ensuring every New Zealand baby goes home warm, and stays warm. On Saturday 9 June, Spotlight stores will mark World Knit in Public Day by inviting New Zealanders to participate in a series of in-store events creating hundreds of knitted blankets and essential items of clothing, which will will be made into bundles and gifted to parents in need.
The charity was was founded by three women (mothers and midwives), all with second jobs, who have witnessed firsthand the unimaginable struggles that many New Zealand families experience every day.

“It’s a hard reality to face, but babies in New Zealand are leaving the hospital unclothed and cold, with no safe bed to sleep in, often living in damp and cold homes,” Warming Hearts co-founder Victoria Dickinson said.

“This year alone we have already gone through the same number of bundles vs. the whole of last year [2017], and we haven’t even been through the toughest part of winter yet.

“Having Spotlight come on board to support our vision is a dream come true. We don’t want to see any babies go home cold, especially in the upcoming winter months. This generous partnership will help us meet the needs of more babies and families and give them the best possible start in life,” Victoria said. Warming Hearts provides in need families with bundles of essential, warm clothing and bedding for their new additions, created by passionate volunteers, craft, knitting and community groups. The beautiful bundles are then distributed by a very special midwife network to families in a safe, private and empathetic way.

Warming Hearts is currently only distributing bundles to Auckland babies, who Victoria says are the most in need. The partnership with Spotlight across all 18 stores will help extend the reach of bundles, as requests grow across New Zealand.

“Sadly we are seeing an increasing number of requests across the country, and this number will only grow as winter settles in. As a not-for-profit, the costs associated with national distribution are limiting, so having Spotlight step in to support this with multiple drop off points will mean that more babies will be warm this winter.”

With a shared passion for making a difference in local communities, family-owned Spotlight is incredibly proud to support Warming Hearts, helping the charity make a tangible, lasting difference for many New Zealand babies.

“While we wish this situation didn’t exist, and it’s a difficult topic to talk about, we feel privileged to be able to work alongside Warming Hearts, helping them with distribution and easy drop off zones right across New Zealand in our stores, so that more babies are can enjoy the simple right of being warm when they go home,” Spotlight Communications Manager, Nick Casey said.

To help Spotlight send hundreds of knitted items to Warming Hearts, New Zealanders are invited to pick up their needles and head down to their local Spotlight store on Saturday 9th June for World Knit in Public Day.

© Scoop Media