Lunch Box Day Returns for Hungry Kids

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday 1 September, 2014

Lunch Box Day Returns for Hungry Kids

On Friday 5 September Campbell Live is bringing back its popular 'Lunch Box' day in support of the KidsCan Charitable Trust. A $3 donation can be made by texting LUNCH to 2448, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the charity.

The inaugural fundraiser held in 2012, saw generous Kiwis donate over $500,000 to provide lunches at school for children living in poverty.

KidsCan now provides food at school for 12,500 children a week and this year’s 'Lunch Box' day will enable the charity to do even more. Funds raised will be used to provide hot lunches for children and to expand the programme to reach schools that are currently waiting for assistance. KidsCan orchards will also be established in schools to provide a long-term sustainable source of fruit and a valuable learning opportunity for students.

From tonight and during the week, Campbell Live will look at the issue of child hunger and poverty in New Zealand and how KidsCan is making a real difference. Then, on Friday 5 September a very special 'Lunch Box' day programme will run, where we will reveal how much money has been raised to help disadvantaged Kiwi kids.

To mark ‘Lunch Box’ day’ this year, Campbell Live is asking schoolchildren around the country to bring a ‘can for KidsCan’ to school on Friday September 5. Kids will be asked to build a can sculpture from cans of spaghetti or baked beans and Campbell Live will collect them for KidsCan.

Campbell Live is also encouraging people to purchase ‘The Great New Zealand Cookbook’ from Whitcoulls this week. Whitcoulls will donate $5 from the sale of each book to KidsCan.

John Campbell describes Campbell Live’s first ‘Lunch Box’ day as one of his proudest days in 23 years at TV3.

“All children deserve the opportunity to achieve great things. But a lack of money for something as fundamental as food means that some Kiwi kids don’t get a fair chance. It’s wonderful that KidsCan is working to help level out the playing field.”

Julie Chapman, CEO. KidsCan says, "Our Food for Kids programme has been running for more than eight years. We know that hungry children, and children eating poorly, don’t achieve as successfully at school and in life as those eating healthily and well. Food insecurity is a daily reality for the thousands of children we support and it’s not their fault. When we put food into a school incredible things happen because the children are no longer hungry. Fighting and bullying stops, learning ability and attendance increases and children feel valued and care for.”

Currently, 260,000 Kiwi kids live in households where incomes fall below recognised poverty thresholds. Many of these children experience significant material deprivation, and many remain poor for long periods of time.

There are several reasons so many New Zealand children are in need and we could endlessly debate the many possible causes of the situation. But that won’t make any difference to the children who are hungry right now.

Campbell Live and KidsCan would love you, your school, or your business to be involved in ‘Lunch Box’ day. Text “LUNCH’ to 2448 make a $3 donation or come up with your own fundraising ideas and do let us know what you are doing to help by emailing info@campbelllive.co.nz.

Ends

Campbell Live, 7pm weekdays on TV3.

www.3News.co.nz/CampbellLive

About KidsCan

The KidsCan Charitable Trust was founded in 2005 in a garage in Greenhithe, Auckland by Julie Chapman.

An evaluation which was conducted in 80 low decile schools, after hearing continuous media reports about New Zealand children going without the basics. We wanted to find out just how widespread the problem was and how it was affecting children’s ability to participate in class.

The evaluation revealed that thousands of children were turning up to school cold, wet and hungry because their parents were struggling to make ends meet. Schools reported that this was having a major impact on children’s learning ability, self-esteem and health. Children who miss out on the basics get sick more often, do worse at school and when they become adults they are more likely to be unemployed and have children who will also grow up in poverty.

With all of this in mind we decided to do something about it and KidsCan was started with a generous $40,000 grant from Guardian Trust. Today KidsCan supports the education of thousands of children in 430 low decile schools throughout New Zealand, providing food, shoes, socks, fleece lined Vodafone Warriors branded raincoats and basic hygiene items. Our tangible programmes ensure disadvantaged children can get to and through the schools gates in a better position to learn.

Vision: By 2016 KidsCan’s distinctive ability to fund, source and distribute food, clothing and meet basic health care needs will have improved educational outcomes for all disadvantaged NZ children in decile 1-4 schools.

Mission: As a reputable New Zealand charity KidsCan strives to be the conduit for individuals, community, business and Government to co-operate in providing food, clothing and basic health care in schools, to enable all disadvantaged NZ children to reach their potential.

For more information please visit http://www.kidscan.org.nz/

© Scoop Media