School Lunchbox Challenge gains traction after posts to Facebook

A Te Puke woman has launched a lunchbox challenge to parents in a bid to help feed hungry school children.

Te Puke Backpackers owner Tracey Wallace-Hutchins decided to take an extra packed lunch box to her child's school, Fairhaven Primary, so it could be given to any child who arrived at school without lunch.

"Everyone can do a little something. That's the simplicity ... you're throwing together a sandwich, a piece of fruit, yoghurt ... it's wholesome. It's so simple," she said.

She got the idea from another parent who had been making lunch for hungry students.

Ms Wallace-Hutchins posted the Lunchbox Challenge idea to local Facebook group pages, encouraging other parents to pack another lunch for their child to hand in to their school office in the morning.

The post included: "Save our ice-cream containers ... Pack an extra healthy lunchbox, get your child to take to the school office for any hungry children ... If every class provided two to three extra lunchboxes regularly, wonder if this would be the most simplest solution to help families who are struggling at the moment. Remember the last days before pay is especially difficult for most families."

The post gained positive feedback.

"It's had an amazing response.

"It's just been incredible, from all sorts of directions, My inbox is overflowing.

"I've have people in Aussie and USA message me, but it is going off like wildfire on our local pages and on national pages," she said.

She emailed schools about the idea to try to get parents on board.

Fairhaven Primary School principal Paul Hunt said bringing an extra lunchbox to school was an initiative that supplemented other community-based help for children.

"We are aware that there are a number of families at Fairhaven School who are struggling so we have a number of initiatives to try to help.

"One of these is provide lunches for children who don't have one.

"Parents who want to can make an extra lunch and drop it into the school office," he said.

Ms Wallace-Hutchins said she had recently met a father while volunteering at a community dinner who needed food for his two children.

"He left with enough food for a couple of days for his family. He was so pleased, he said his kids could get to school ... because when they ran out of food and money, they kept their kids home."

She said the community needed to help struggling families.

"Even if it is just helping their kids get to school in reasonable clothing, warm, fed, sheltered, and comforted in the knowledge they live in a community that really does give a damn about them and others," Ms Wallace-Hutchins said.

How you can help:

* Do you have spare ice-cream containers? Tracey Wallace-Hutchins is looking for more containers which can be dropped at the Te Puke Backpackers, or to local community dinners.