For Christchurch psychotherapist Jo Doyle, getting into freezing South Island water is about much more than testing her tolerance for the cold.

The child and adolescent psychotherapist has been taking part in Kenzie’s Gift’s Big Winter Plunge, a nationwide winter fundraising campaign supporting tamariki and rangatahi whose parent or sibling has died or is seriously ill.

Jo works with children and young people up to the age of 20, helping them navigate some of the most difficult experiences a young person can face.

Through her work, she sees first-hand why professional grief support can be so important.

“Losing someone close is a life-changing event, and it’s really important that that child gets held and supported,” Jo says.

Grief can shape a child’s development

Grief affects everybody differently, but for children and young people the death or serious illness of someone close can arrive while they are still developing their understanding of relationships, emotions and the world around them.

Jo says the death of a parent in particular can have a lasting influence on a child’s life and development.

Supporting a grieving child therefore involves much more than simply encouraging them to talk about what has happened.

Every child, family and situation is different.

Jo’s work considers the wider context surrounding each young person, including their family relationships, culture, religious beliefs and existing support network.

Parents and caregivers often need support too, particularly when it comes to deciding what to tell a child about a serious illness or death.

Questions such as how much information to share, when to have those conversations and what words to use can be incredibly difficult for adults to navigate while dealing with their own emotions.

Professional support can help families approach those conversations in a way that is appropriate for the child and their circumstances.

Children do not always express grief through words

One of the challenges when supporting children through grief is that they may not be able to explain exactly what they are thinking or feeling.

Jo says children need the time and space to experience their emotions without feeling pressured to “move on”.

Therapy with younger people can therefore look very different from the traditional image of two adults sitting in a room talking.

Art, play and behaviour can all provide ways for children to express feelings that they may struggle to put into words.

A trained child psychotherapist can observe the way a child communicates through those activities and help both the child and their caregivers better understand what may be happening emotionally.

Turning cold-water swimming into support for Kiwi families

Jo is no stranger to cold water.

Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, she regularly joins a group of dawn dippers for Sunday morning swims in the sea.

During this year’s Big Winter Plunge, she turned that enthusiasm for cold-water swimming into a way of raising funds and awareness for Kenzie’s Gift, including a planned plunge at Lake Brunner on the West Coast on 23 August.

The Big Winter Plunge encourages people across New Zealand to brave cold oceans, lakes, pools or ice baths during August while fundraising for Kenzie’s Gift.

For Jo, the challenge also creates an opportunity to start conversations about subjects many New Zealanders still find uncomfortable.

“As a culture, we’re not very good at talking about death and dying,” she says.

“People avoid it, and they get really fearful of it and so Kenzie’s Gift gives us a space and a purpose to talk about all the things that come up around death and dying and grieving.”

Supporting young people when families need it most

Kenzie’s Gift is a registered New Zealand charity providing professional mental health and grief support for children and young adults affected by the death or serious illness of a parent or sibling.

Its services include one-on-one therapy with registered mental health professionals, support kits, practical resources and information for families navigating serious illness and bereavement.

The charity believes no young person in Aotearoa should have to face grief or serious illness alone.

Fundraising initiatives such as the Big Winter Plunge help make that support available to families without adding another financial burden during what can already be an extraordinarily difficult period.

For therapists such as Jo, the importance of having specialist support available to young people is something they see through their work every day.

The cold water may only last a few minutes.

The support it helps provide can have an impact for far longer.

More information about Kenzie’s Gift, its professional grief support services and ways to support the charity can be found through the Kenzie’s Gift website.

When a business decides to support a charity, the natural choice is often a large organisation with a familiar name. However, smaller charities can offer businesses a closer connection to the work being funded and a clearer view of the outcomes their support makes possible.

That is the case being made by Kenzie’s Gift, a specialist New Zealand charity providing free, professional grief support to tamariki and rangatahi aged between 3 and 24 whose parent or sibling has died or is seriously ill.

Because the charity has a focused purpose and a small team, it says contributions can be directed closely towards the young people and whānau its services are designed to help.

A focused approach to supporting grieving young people

Kenzie’s Gift concentrates specifically on providing professional support to children and young people experiencing grief or serious illness within their immediate family.

Its work is not spread across numerous unrelated causes. Instead, funding is directed towards helping young people access qualified therapists who can support them through experiences they may not yet have the words or tools to process.

The charity’s recently published article, Small Charity: Big Impact — Why Your Business Should Back Kenzie’s Gift, explains that the relatively short distance between a contribution and the child receiving support allows business partners to see more clearly what their involvement has helped make possible.

Kenzie’s Gift operates with a small team and limited hours, meaning every contribution of money, time or practical assistance has to be used carefully.

The scale of childhood grief in New Zealand

The need for this support is larger than many people may realise.

The Kenzie’s Gift article refers to analysis drawing on the Growing Up in New Zealand study, described as the country’s largest longitudinal child-development research project.

According to the article, more than 10,000 New Zealand children experience the death of a parent by the age of eight. Hundreds of thousands more are bereaved of another close family member by the same age, with around one in three Kiwi children experiencing the death of a loved one before turning eight.

The article also notes that grief education was removed from the New Zealand curriculum in 2007. This can leave children navigating the death of someone close to them without structured grief education or the language needed to explain what they are feeling.

Although professional support is available, its cost may place it beyond the reach of some families at the time it is most urgently required. Kenzie’s Gift aims to help close that gap by providing free professional support to eligible young people and their whānau.

What a business partnership can provide

Supporting Kenzie’s Gift gives businesses an opportunity to contribute to a specific and clearly defined area of need.

The charity says its focused approach allows it to demonstrate what a business’s support has helped deliver, including the therapy provided, young people reached and whānau given somewhere to turn.

Kenzie’s Gift also believes a meaningful charity partnership can benefit the participating business and its employees.

Because grief eventually affects almost everyone, supporting young people who have experienced the death or serious illness of a parent or sibling is a cause that may resonate personally with employees and customers.

The charity offers several ways for workplaces to become involved, ranging from team fundraising activities to regular workplace giving and longer-term partnerships.

Bringing teams together through the Big Winter Plunge

One of the charity’s main workplace fundraising initiatives is the Big Winter Plunge.

The challenge invites teams from across Aotearoa to take a cold-water plunge during winter while raising funds for Kenzie’s Gift. It is designed to be an accessible group challenge rather than an athletic competition.

Participants can take part together, raise funds as a workplace and create a shared experience outside their normal working environment.

The Kenzie’s Gift article also references research associated with cold-water activity, including potential benefits such as sharper focus, improved sleep, increased energy and reduced stress.

JB Hi-Fi staff raised more than $20,000

Kenzie’s Gift points to JB Hi-Fi as an example of how a national business can involve staff in supporting a smaller charity.

During the previous winter, JB Hi-Fi employees around New Zealand took part in cold-water plunges before work and raised funds for Kenzie’s Gift.

Stores challenged one another, and the initiative eventually included members of the company’s senior leadership team.

According to Kenzie’s Gift, the JB Hi-Fi team collectively raised more than $20,000 through the campaign.

The activity provided financial support for the charity while also giving employees across different stores a shared challenge in which they could participate.

Businesses can contribute in several ways

Taking part in the Big Winter Plunge is only one option available to businesses.

Kenzie’s Gift identifies several ways organisations can support its work:

• Entering a workplace team in the Big Winter Plunge and fundraising together
• Establishing regular workplace or payroll giving
• Matching contributions made by employees
• Providing funding through a business grant or foundation programme
• Offering sponsorship or practical in-kind support
• Establishing an ongoing partnership with the charity

These options allow businesses to choose an approach suited to their size, available resources and level of staff participation.

A small business may organise a single fundraiser or sponsored challenge, while a larger organisation might establish regular giving, sponsorship or a longer-term partnership.

A direct connection between businesses and families

For businesses considering a charitable partnership, Kenzie’s Gift’s central argument is that smaller does not necessarily mean less effective.

A focused charity can give partners greater visibility into how their support is being used and allow employees to feel more closely connected to the cause.

In this case, the outcome is helping a child or young person access professional support while facing the death or serious illness of a parent or sibling.

Businesses interested in taking part in the Big Winter Plunge, setting up workplace giving or discussing another form of partnership can find further details in the charity’s original business partnership article.

More information about the charity, its services and the young people it supports is available from the Kenzie’s Gift website.

Turua Gallery is once again partnering with grassroots charity Give a Kid a Blanket to support families in need this winter, launching its annual community donation drive.
Now in its second decade of support, the gallery’s winter collection initiative continues to play a vital role in helping deliver warmth, comfort and dignity to families across Tāmaki Makaurau.
While previous years have centred around the much-loved “Fill the Truck” challenge, this year the focus shifts to a more streamlined collection effort—ensuring donations can be distributed quickly and directly to those who need them most.
Founded by artists Bernie Harfleet and Donna Turtle Sarten, Give a Kid a Blanket works closely with social workers, community health teams and police to provide tailored care packages for families. Donations are sorted and delivered within one to two weeks, ensuring immediate impact during the coldest months of the year.
Owner of Turua Gallery, Liss Wallace, says the initiative is deeply rooted in community connection.
“This is something incredibly close to our hearts,” she says. “For over 10 years, we’ve seen first-hand the difference these donations make. It’s about people helping people — whether it’s one pair of socks or a bundle of blankets, it all matters.”
The gallery is calling on the community, local schools and organisations to contribute high-quality, pre-loved or new items that will help families stay warm through winter.
Items needed include:

- Warm bedding (duvet inners and covers, blankets, sheets) – all sizes
- Infant sleeping sacks
- Warm clothing for all ages
- Socks, pyjamas and dressing gowns
- Jackets, beanies and gloves

New items only:

- Pillows
- Hot water bottles

 
Quality pre-loved larger items are also welcomed, including bassinets, portacots, prams and current-standard car seats.
Handmade items such as knitted garments and quilts are especially treasured, often becoming deeply valued possessions for the families who receive them.
“There’s something incredibly special about a handmade piece — you can feel the care that’s gone into it,” Wallace adds. “Those items are always cherished.”
With donations going directly to families in need—carefully matched to household size and living situations—the initiative ensures practical, immediate support for those doing it tough this winter.
The gallery encourages Aucklanders to take part by donating items, spreading the word, or simply taking the time to sort through cupboards for anything that could make a difference.
Collection Details:
Drop-off dates: Now – 7 June
Drop-off location: Turua Gallery, 10a Turua Street, St Heliers, Auckland
 
About Turua Gallery
Turua Gallery is dedicated to making contemporary art accessible in a welcoming and relaxed space. Representing both established and emerging New Zealand artists, the gallery presents a curated programme of exhibitions that prioritise connection, creativity and storytelling.

A new NZD$12 million multi-year project aimed at increasing household incomes, reducing child labour, and ensuring communities across Cambodia are better off through innovative horticultural practices was announced yesterday afternoon (local time) at an event attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Winston Peters in Phnom Penh.

The Growing Transformative Horticulture (GROWTH) project is funded by the New Zealand Government and Kiwi donors and will be implemented by Save the Children in Cambodia alongside technical partner iDE Cambodia. The project aims to create healthier, more resilient households by increasing farmer incomes, improving nutrition, and creating safer environments for children across Cambodia's Koh Kong, Kampot, Siem Reap, and Banteay Meanchey provinces.

Over the next five years (2025-2030), the programme will reach 8,000 farming households, 40,000 people and strengthen 700 local institutions and enterprises, with more than 165,000 people set to benefit indirectly.

By transforming Cambodia's horticulture sector through inclusive, climate-resilient market development, GROWTH aims to ensure that improved livelihoods translate directly into better outcomes for children - supporting families to keep children in school, reduce economic-driven risks, and ensure safer labour practices.

"Children thrive when families are resilient," Save the Children Cambodia Country Director Reaksmey Hong says.

"By boosting incomes, expanding access to safe farming practices, and embedding child protection and nutrition into agricultural work, GROWTH ensures that economic development leads to real improvements in children's lives."

The project builds on the learnings from previous climate-smart agricultural resilience and market linkage programmes funded by the New Zealand Government.

Today's event - marking the official announcement of the partnership - was attended by Minister Peters, alongside Cambodian government officials, Save the Children Cambodia Country Director Reaksmey Hong and iDE Country Director Kevin Robbins.

New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt Honourable Winston Peters, said, "New Zealand proudly supports the GROWTH project in Cambodia. The project aims to enhance the horticulture sector, which is vital as a driver of rural prosperity, and builds on over 20 years of agricultural collaboration."

The programme places strong emphasis on gender equality, disability inclusion and safe community environments. By addressing the systemic barriers that prevent women, youth, people with disabilities and marginalised groups from participating in markets, GROWTH helps households build protective, stable conditions for children.

"GROWTH represents a new generation of agricultural programming - one that not only strengthens markets, but also strengthens families," says iDE Cambodia Country Director Kevin Robbins.

"Better incomes, climate resilience and inclusive market opportunities create the foundation for safer, healthier futures for children in Cambodia."

A cargo plane carrying 40 metric tonnes of medical supplies landed in Port Sudan this week, with essential drugs, medical equipment and therapeutic food to treat children in Sudan, said Save the Children.

The delivery from Nairobi was the largest aid consignment by an international NGO since March 2025, when Sudan issued a nationwide ban on all imports from Kenya, applying to ports, border crossings, airports, and entry points.

The consignment is enough to keep hundreds of health facilities running for 6-12 months, allowing hundreds of thousands of children to be treated.

From Port Sudan, these supplies will be taken by road to reach children and families in the hardest-to-access areas across Sudan, including in Tawila, North Darfur.

The medicines in the delivery include essential drugs such as antibiotics to treat respiratory infections, fluids, multivitamins, and treatment for malnutrition. The delivery also includes medical equipment, such as thermometers, syringes and needles, bandage, gauze and dressings, IV fluids, gloves, masks and basic infection prevention items critical for providing health care and saving lives in emergencies.

More than 75% of health facilities in conflict-affected areas in Sudan are non‑functional due to attacks, looting, and shortages of staff, medicines, and supplies. Millions especially children and pregnant women are currently without access to even the most basic healthcare, said Save the Children.

Outbreaks of cholera, malaria and measles continue to rise in areas where health, water and sanitation systems have collapsed, according to the UN, while Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates are alarmingly high, ranging from 38% to 75% in El Fasher and reaching nearly 30 % in Kadugli.

Mohamad Abdiladif, Country Director for Save the Children in Sudan, said:

"This aid delivery is a critical milestone and was only made possible through complex access negotiations and collaboration with government authorities. It is a lifeline for millions of people."

"Every box received and delivered brings us closer to restoring critical health services in Sudan."

"However, we need more deliveries, greater access, and critically, an end to the violence. Sudan faces escalating malnutrition and famine risk, deadly disease outbreaks in overcrowded displacement sites, and the collapse of maternal and child health services."

"Save the Children remains unwavering in its commitment to deliver life‑saving health and nutrition services including mobile clinics and malnutrition treatment so that every child has a chance to survive and thrive."

"But we cannot do this alone. Donors and partners must act now to scale up food and nutrition interventions to avert famine, support health services and outbreak control to prevent deadly disease outbreaks, ensure education and protection for displaced children to safeguard their future, and advocate for safe humanitarian access and sustained funding to keep aid flowing. Together, we can prevent a health and hunger catastrophe and give Sudan's children the future they deserve."

Save the Children is urging the international community to redouble efforts to demand an immediate end to hostilities and lifting of all sieges on civilian areas in Sudan to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and a drastic scale‑up of humanitarian assistance. Save the Children has been working in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across the country, providing health, nutrition, education, child protection, and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan.

"Increasing global volatility, ongoing wars and reduced access to water and nutrition are hurting children in our region and across the world,' says Josie Pagani, CEO of ChildFund New Zealand.

Today is World Children's Day.

1 in 4 children live in a country affected by conflict or disasterChildren in crisis settings account for half of all under‑five deaths339,000 children are born into displacement every year.

"World Children's Day is a reminder that every child, no matter where they are born, deserves access to clean water, decent food, and an education" says Josie Pagani.

Last week, ChildFund NZ launched two controversial campaigns (Her First Sip and Deadly Weapon), to highlight the preventable child sicknesses and deaths in the Pacific region due to limited access to clean water.

Only 16% of school children in the Solomon Islands have access to clean, safe drinking water. We're only a few hours away by plane from children, in our own region, who are suffering or worse, and missing out on school, simply from lack of access to clean water.

In Kiribati, only 27% of households have access to safe drinking water.

Since launching this campaign, we have received very positive feedback, but also some alarming hate mail.

Previously, Josie Pagani said "We make no apology for offending you" in response to the shock of ChildFund NZ's campaign.

Some negative comments on their social media include "what kind of fkn ads that?"

ChildFund New Zealand is a member of the ChildFund Alliance, a network of ten child‑focused organisations across the world focusing on helping children in places like Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and anywhere children are at risk.

The ChildFund Alliance reached 36 million children across 66 countries last year, with programmes protecting children from violence or abuse; providing emergency education during wars and disasters; psychosocial support to help children heal from trauma; and bringing clean water and decent food to children who have neither, and much more.

"On this global day of recognising children at risk across the world, we ask New Zealanders to support the work of charities like ours," says Josie Pagani.

Donate and learn more at https://childfund.org.nz/her-first-sip/

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) administers more than $680 million of funding for projects supporting climate resilience in the Pacific.

This is a significant investment of public money, and the funding is important to communities in the region on the frontline of climate change. Parliament and the public need to have confidence that the funding is being managed well and used to maximise value and impact.

Our work, published in a letter to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, looked at how MFAT considers value for money and reports on results in administering these Pacific climate finance grants.

We found that value for money considerations inform several aspects of MFAT’s processes for climate finance grants in the Pacific. However, we think there are opportunities for MFAT to improve the way it reports on the results and impact of this funding. MFAT has told us it has work underway to achieve this.

Read our detailed findings here: https://www.oag.parliament.nz/2025/climate-change-funding

When a parent, sibling, or caregiver is seriously ill—or passes away—young people are plunged into a world of uncertainty. Kenzie’s Gift, a New Zealand-based charity, exists with the mission that no tamariki or mātātahi should face grief or illness alone. What started as a painful, personal loss has grown into a lifeline for thousands of families across Aotearoa.

Founding Story & Purpose

Kenzie’s Gift was established in memory of Nic Russell’s daughter, Kenzie. The charity honours her legacy by offering professional mental health support, tailored resources, and therapeutic services to children (aged ~3-24) whose world has been upended by serious illness (including cancer / mate pukupuku) or death in the family.

What They Do — Services & Support

Kenzie’s Gift delivers help in several concrete ways, with sensitivity to age, need, and context. Key offerings include:

1-on-1 Therapy: Up to 12 fully funded sessions with registered psychologists or psychotherapists. These are tailored depending on the young person’s age and what they are going through. For example, younger children might work through play, art, or storytelling; older teens might engage in more conversation and goal-setting.

Support Kits: Practical, age-appropriate kits to help children, young people, and their whānau cope with serious illness or grief. 

Free Resources & Articles: Educational content written by their therapists, covering topics such as managing emotions, talking about loss, navigating illness, and support strategies for caregivers. 

The Grief Podcast: A podcast co-produced with the SkyCity Auckland Community Trust, to promote open kōrero (conversations) about grief so young people don’t feel isolated. 

Who They Help

Kenzie’s Gift focuses on young people aged 3 to 24. The support is for those: whose parent, primary caregiver, or sibling has died, whose parent or caregiver has a terminal or life-limiting illness, who themselves are living with a serious or long-term illness. 

They strive to serve families across all of New Zealand—from major centres to rural and more isolated communities.

Why Kenzie’s Gift Matters Now

Increasing awareness of mental health in NZ has highlighted that grief and serious illness are often under-supported.

Lags in access to mental health care, especially in non-urban areas, mean that charities like this fill crucial gaps.

Grief is universal but individual; providing resources, therapy, and community helps reduce isolation.

For many young people, having early access to therapy can help with school, friendships, and emotional wellbeing long‐term.

How the Community Can Support / Get Involved

Donations & Fundraising: Kenzie’s Gift relies on community generosity to keep offering free or reduced-cost services and creating resources. kenziesgift.com

Volunteering / Awareness: Community events like Superhero Friday help raise funds and awareness in schools, showing young people that talking about grief is okay. kenziesgift.com

Referrals: Caregivers, schools, and health professionals hearing about serious illness or grief in a child can pull Kenzie’s Gift into the support network.

Kenzie’s Gift is a beacon of hope for many families in New Zealand facing the dual shock of serious illness or death. Its strength lies in combining professional therapy with practical tools, tailored to age and experience, accessible across geography.

In a world where grief can be overwhelming—and where service gaps often exist—Kenzie’s Gift is helping to ensure no young Kiwi has to face their hardest nights alone.

Written by Stu from EightySix Digital

Nourished for Nil and Foodstuffs North Island are expanding their successful social supermarket initiative with the opening of a second store in Hawke’s Bay.  

Set to open on Monday, 14 April, the new social supermarket at 506 Queen Street West, Hastings, will provide greater access to food support for the community. 

The launch comes 18 months after the organisations partnered to open the region’s first social supermarket in Napier, a collaboration that has provided dignified food support to many local families.  

With New World Hastings stepping in as the buddy store, the new location will transform an empty site with offices and rooms into a welcoming, fully stocked social supermarket. The existing food bank service will continue to operate alongside the new offering. 

Founder of Nourished for Nil, Christina McBeth says expanding into Hastings was part of the vision. 

“Our plan has always been to open in Hastings as we believe the need is there. A lot of people using our Napier social supermarket come from Hastings, but others think that because the service is in Napier, it’s not for them or they can’t afford the travel costs to get there. This new store will be just 100 metres from our distribution centre, where we run our entire operation so it’s going to be great to expand our base too.”  

Nourished for Nil chose to name the Hastings Social Supermarket “Whare Whāngai” which means a place of nurturing and nourishment. The name has been gifted by Sir Timoti Karetu, KNZM QSO CRSNZ, a leading New Zealand academic of the Māori language. 

Nourished for Nil is the largest food rescue and food support organisation in the region, and this expansion is expected to increase its impact significantly. Operating two social supermarkets close together will create efficiencies in service delivery, ensuring more families have access to affordable, high-quality groceries. 

Foodstuffs North Island, the co-operative behind the North Island’s New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square stores, partners with community organisations to open social supermarkets across the country and has seen the positive difference these stores make. 

“We’re thrilled to be working with Nourished for Nil again to open a second social supermarket in Hawke’s Bay. These stores are about offering dignity, choice, and wraparound support to people experiencing food insecurity. The Napier store has had a great impact, and we know this new Hastings location will do the same,” says Willa Hand, Head of Social Supermarket for Foodstuffs North Island. 

The Hastings social supermarket will operate under the same model as other social supermarkets, allowing agency referred individuals and families facing food insecurity to shop for groceries in a supermarket-style environment while paying only what they can afford. 

The Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why New Zealand taxpayers are forking out millions of dollars in foreign aid to countries that have state-sponsored space and nuclear weapons programmes.
 
A recent Taxpayers’ Union OIA reveals that in the past year, India has received $1,178,000 from Kiwi taxpayers, Indonesia has been granted a whopping $25,068,402.67 and Pakistan has been given $3,500,000."
 
Oliver Bryan, Investigations Coordinator at the Taxpayers' Union, said:
 
“It is concerning to see the government’s priorities in relation to foreign aid with millions of dollars going to countries who have state-sponsored space and nuclear programmes.
 
“If a foreign government has enough money to invest in ambitious space programmes, it should not expect to be receiving payments from New Zealand taxpayers that is earmarked for helping the world’s poorest.
 
"Our new Ministers must reconsider and refine our aid policies, putting genuine need at the forefront."

The Salvation Army releases key figures from 2018 Christmas Appeal.

The Salvation Army has helped 15,795 Kiwi children this Christmas with the support of donations from the public but expects the figures to climb in the New Year.

Volunteer and permanent staff across New Zealand have spent the festive season packing and handing out 14,394 food parcels, organising budgeting and counselling sessions, and providing housing for 400 families.

“We’ve seen high demand for basic needs this Christmas – food, clothing and shelter – and 2019 will remain an uphill battle for these families as they prepare for the school year,” says Major Pam Waugh, head of welfare services at The Salvation Army.

“Extra expenses over the holiday period with kids home from school are an added cost to families living on low incomes.”

The Child Poverty Monitor report by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner released this month found that one in five children under the age of 15 experience moderate-to-severe food insecurity.

Those figures are upsetting, but not surprising, Major Waugh says.

“That’s between 161,000 and 188,000 New Zealand children who can’t count on having regular nutritious meals. It’s incredibly heart-breaking to hear children take on the pressure of financial hardship and say they need to find ways to get money to help Mum and Dad,” says Major Waugh.

“The start of the school year brings even more strain with stationery, uniforms and transport costs. For many families on low incomes, it’s a time of incredible pressure after Christmas and a long holiday period.”

Registered clinical psychologist at Victoria University Dr Dougal Sutherland says the struggle extends beyond physical needs for children living in poverty.

“Children are the victims of circumstance and can’t escape the weight of poverty. Stress on the developing brain can have a major effect on mental health.

“Prolonged poverty can lead to a lack of hope and lower self-worth – major factors in crime and youth suicide.”

The Salvation Army is facing unprecedented demand for its counselling services from both families and individuals. The organisation’s counsellors see daily the stress of poverty leading to poor mental health, family violence and behavioural problems in children, Major Waugh says. But, together with other Salvation Army services, they are able to help these families build a better future.

Dr Sutherland says parents who experience depression as a result of poverty tend to have poorer emotional relationships with their children and that parental depression is a major predictor of child depression.

“Most of us will have experienced stress in our lives but that stress is usually short-lived and we can recover afterwards. Thousands of children are sadly living in environments where hope doesn’t exist,” says Dr Sutherland.

The Salvation Army is seeking support from the public to continue helping vulnerable families into the New Year.

“The reality is that The Salvation Army can’t help these families without the support of the public. We’re urging people who have been fortunate enough to enjoy their Christmas to spare a thought and donate to those who were not,” says Major Waugh.

The Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal runs until 15th January and donations can be made online at salvationarmy.org.nz/christmasappeal.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced New Zealand will provide further assistance to the Philippines to help with the recovery process following Typhoon Bopha.

Two weeks after Typhoon Bopha first hit the Philippines, the death toll stands at 1050, while 838 people remain missing.  Bopha affected 6.2 million people in 34 provinces, destroying thousands of homes and livelihoods.

“New Zealand will be making an additional $1.5 million available to support relief and early recovery efforts, taking our support so far to $2 million,” Mr McCully says.

The New Zealand Government earlier provided $500,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross for essential relief items such as food, water and shelter.

New Zealand’s latest contribution will support UNICEF ($1 million) and New Zealand non-government organisations ($500,000) in meeting urgent water and sanitation needs.