In 2019 and 2020, we partnered with two primary schools and made fresh and nourishing lunches for all of the children on a regular basis. Over this period we provided over 4,000 sandwiches and fresh pieces of home baking.
With the government’s Lunches in Schools programme, our work in this area is currently on pause.
How did we start?
With the annual fundraising drive for Nourish at Christmas growing bigger each year, Claire and Gabe decided that they wanted to support families on a more frequent basis, and so Nourish @ Schools was born!
One of the local principals they work closely with told them that the children do not often get nutritious lunches (with fresh food and protein), and they very rarely, if ever, had home baking.
What did we do?
We partnered with two Primary schools (one in the Hutt Valley and one in Porirua) to provide a fresh and nourishing lunch for all of the children on a regular basis. Through our sustainable partnership model, we worked with the schools so that over a period of time they would be able to step in and self-manage the administration, while Nourish provided the ingredients and support to make the programme a success.
How it works:
1.
Each week, we put the call out to our volunteers for baking so we have enough for every child in the school.
2.
Another team of volunteers go in and make the fresh sandwiches on site.
3.
Our team also trains the children at the school on safe food practices and how to make the lunches, with a view for the programme to be run and managed by the school.
Attendance has gone up on the days we provide lunch.
We work closely with schools to understand how the programme is working for them, and if there is anything we could be doing differently.
We make enough lunch for all the children so no child is singled out for not having their lunch.
Any spare sandwiches and baking are frozen by the school and used throughout the week for children who have not brought lunch to school.
What does it cost?
We work with two schools (one in the Hutt Valley and one in Porirua). Each have just under 150 pupils. The cost to purchase the items required each week works out to around $150 – this is $1 per child!
This programme is currently funded personally by Claire and Gabe as well as weekly sponsorship by businesses or individual families.
We’ve made 3,000 lunches already this year, and counting!
How can you help?
Baking.
We put the call out each week for baking (the kids’ favourite part of Nourish @ Schools!) So, if you’d like to join our baking squad, we’d greatly appreciate it. We have two drop off points in Eastbourne and Johnsonville and we ask you drop it off in a zip lock bag (rather than container that needs returning.)
If we have any extras they are packaged up and either distributed by the school to families that are particularly struggling at that time, or frozen and used throughout the week for hungry kids.
The best way to keep in touch with our baking needs is through our Facebook page www.facebook.com/NourishatSchools/
Donate.
Every donation helps, small or large. Some families and businesses have chosen to sponsor one week of lunches ($150) and others have provided cash donations to contribute towards one week. If you’re a business, we’ll happily recognise your generosity through our Facebook page! (www.facebook.com/NourishatSchools)
If you’re keen to help, please email us at claire@nourish.org.
Raise awareness.
We know not everyone has time or funds to spare, and raising awareness is also a huge help. Please let people and business know what we are doing and point them towards our website and Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/NourishatSchools)