KidsCan Charitable Trust is a national charity organisation whose aim is to meet the basic physical and nutritional needs of New Zealand children living in poverty. Thousands of New Zealand children suffer from malnutrition, which affects their ability to learn. There are also many children who are arriving to school wet and cold because their families cannot afford to provide basic necessities such as raincoats. Some of these kids aren't even coming to school when it rains.
Raincoats For Kids
Low decile schools report high rates of absence in winter as many children simply do not own a raincoat. Each year we provide over 8,000 free adidas raincoats to children from low income families, ensuring they arrive at school warm, dry and in a better position to learn. So far 16,000 children in 68 low decile schools around the country have received coats
Food for Kids
Children living in poverty can never be sure of receiving three meals a day, often filling their tummies on what they get out of the school water fountain. I am sure you will agree all kids deserve to have full tummies, regardless of whether their parents are good people struggling to make ends meet or those who waste money and neglect their responsibilities. The KidsCan 'Food for Kids' programme currently provides free food at school for over 6,000 financially disadvantaged children a week.
Shoes for Kids
Provides free quality footwear and socks for children who consistently come to school in winter without shoes or with shoes that are in bad condition. 'Shoes for Kids' reduces foot injury and illness and keeps little feet warm and dry in winter. So far more than 2,000 pairs of shoes have been given to children throughout New Zealand.
Massey University has found our programmes have increased attendance at school and improved the self esteem of children who would otherwise continue to fall through the gaps. We now have a waiting list of more than 20,000 Kiwi kids who need our support and yours!
Bayview Wairakei Resort and KidsCan
Bayview Wairakei Resort is a Key Partner of the KidsCan Charitable Trust. The Resort provides support through prizes for online auctions (via Trade Me) and Mystery envelope promotions (sold through Warehouse and Warehouse Stationary stores across New Zealand). Bayview Wairakei Resort also supports the charity in a number of other ways, providing accommodation and venues for KidsCan events held throughout the year.
Check Out for Charity
By choosing to stay at Bayview Wairakei Resort, you can also support this fantastic charity! When you stay with Bayview Wairakei Resort, you will be asked to donate $1 to your bill when you check out. This is not compulsary and you are completely free to choose to make a donation. All the money received will go towards the KidsCan Health Start campaign, providing hungry children with a nutritious morning tea, so they can learn to the best of their ability.
For more information about KidsCan, or to make a donation, please visit www.kidscan.org.nz
KidsCan named Official Charity of The All Blacks at milestone event
The KidsCan Charitable Trust is delighted to have been selected by the NZRU as the new official All Blacks charity.
The three year partnership is a tremendous boost to the organisation which helps disadvantaged New Zealand children in low decile schools through programmes such as Raincoats for Kids, Food for Kids and Shoes for Kids.
KidsCan was founded 3 years ago by Julie Helson and Carl Sunderland who were concerned by high levels of child poverty in New Zealand. Consultation with 90 low decile schools about the most pressing needs for children revealed that wet weather gear and sufficient food to get through the day topped the list.
General Manager, Julie Helson says "The association with the All Blacks will raise the profile of KidsCan so that every household in New Zealand is aware of how significant the issue of child poverty has become. There are thousands of kiwi kids going to school cold and hungry through no fault of their own and this has a major impact on their ability to learn."
The partnership will be officially launched at Robertson Road Primary School, Mangere, Auckland on 26th June at 10.15am.
The announcement of the All Blacks Official Charity status coincides with the distribution of the 20,000th raincoat in the KidsCan Raincoats for Kids programme.
Raincoats for Kids was designed to provide waterproof jackets to financially disadvantaged children to keep them warm and dry in winter. It has already proved to be a huge success with schools reporting higher levels of attendance, increased self esteem and academic improvements amongst the children as a result.
A study last year by Professor Mike O'Brien from Massey University's School of Social and Cultural Studies noted how the All Blacks logo played an important part in the success of the Raincoats for Kids programme with some children wearing the jackets every day and all day and listing them as their most prized possession.
The jackets are distributed to more than 70 low decile schools throughout New Zealand. More than 80 schools are currently on the waiting list to receive KidsCan assistance.
As well as providing 7,000 pairs of shoes, KidsCan also provides 240,000 meals a year to low decile schools.
All Blacks Ali Williams and Doug Howlett are already both enthusiastic KidsCan Patrons.
