Community Collaboration Helps Students In Need

With necessities such as rent, power and food becoming increasingly expensive, students at the Toi Ohomai Taupō Campus are taking advantage of a collaborative ‘Free Lunch’ initiative.

The initiative sees Toi Ohomai partner with local businesses to provide students with basics like bread and canned food, while community agencies or support services provide informative discussions on a number of different topics from budget advice, smoking cessation, suicide awareness, to health and careers.  

Fact: In New Zealand, around 682,500 people live in poverty.

The Free Lunch has proven to be very successful, with a number of businesses regularly donating food, funding, or time. Students are noting significant improvements in focus and concentration with the hunger barrier being eliminated.

“We have been very pleased with the positive response from local businesses and feedback from students – we’ve seen such a boost to the campus spirit,” says Maree Kendrick, Regional Lead for Toi Ohomai South Waikato campuses.

The initiative also helps students build relationships with their peers and industry professionals, as well as improving reciprocal communication with support services.

“The Free Lunch in Taupo launched in April and we have already seen over $5,000 worth of food donated through the weekly initiative, says Sue Murray, Regional Engagement Facilitator at the Toi Ohomai Taupō Campus.

“We are so lucky to have such a generous community in Taupō and really appreciate the support from local businesses.”

Similar initiatives are also in place at Toi Ohomai campuses throughout the rohe.

A special thanks to the following local businesses for their support:

• Contact Energy
• Total Industrial Solutions
• Farmers
• Bakers Delight
• Maketu Pies
• Foodbank
• Jasco Distributing
• Taupo Office Products
• Cory’s Electrical