Taupō high school raises money for homeless charity Orange Sky

Tauhara College year 9 student Angela Schur raised more than $600 for homeless charity Orange Sky by sleeping outside in a box. Photo / Supplied

It's a big call to sleep outside in Taupō temperatures in April, but a group from Tauhara College did just that.

Two weeks ago, 20 students and three teachers slept outside at the college to raise money and awareness for Orange Sky, a charity providing a mobile laundry and shower service for the homeless in Auckland and Wellington.

The non-profit organisation has a mission to positively connect communities by providing a safe, positive and supportive environment for people who are living under very trying circumstances.

Orange Sky works alongside service providers for the homeless so that homeless people who are already accessing support services or stopping in for a meal can also get their laundry done and have a warm shower. They aim to provide a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for people who might not have anywhere else to go.

Tauhara College students and teachers spent the night outside sleeping in just a cardboard box to raise money for charity Orange Sky. Photo / Supplied

The charity's website says 41,600 New Zealanders are currently experiencing homelessness.

"Providing support to everyone who needs it is a big job, but by working together and collaborating as a community, we can provide better outcomes for our friends on the street."

The school fundraiser was organised by Year 13 student Emma Billings and the Manaakitanga Group after teacher Susan Whitworth suggested they take a local approach and so a focus was the current housing crisis.

This resonated with Emma, who knows from a friend that the Tūrangi foodbank has had increased demand since the pandemic started.

"More families are needing help with food packages, and I've also seen that the kai pantries have been well used," Emma says.

Cans of food were donated by Tauhara College students to the local food bank at an event to raise awareness of homelessness. Photo / Supplied

Other activities were an inter-house waka competition to collect canned food that was donated to the Taupō Community Foodbank co-ordinator Megan George.

"Megan said the cans contributed from the college made a significant contribution to the foodbank."

Students were sponsored to sleep outside in a cardboard box at school, and raised more than $1000.

Year 9 student Angela Schur from Motuoapa raised more than $600, and as her family was isolating with Covid-19 at the time of the school event, she slept outside on her deck at home.

"She was so passionate about the cause and it was courageous of her to sleep in a box at by herself."

Emma says homelessness is a cause that many students at the college were happy to take up and says the fundraising also opened up some conversations.