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News
With thanks to College Chaplain, Reverend David Smith
During the first Lockdowns in 2020, we became increasingly aware of the financial hardships experienced by families across Auckland and The Shed was formed; a food distribution centre housed on the College campus, regularly filled with food donations from each of our schools. Our vision is that we, as the Saint Kentigern community, will provide food boxes for front-line workers (Principals & Social workers) from our partnership schools to distribute within their communities using their own guidelines/criteria. In this respect, ‘The Shed’ acts as a conduit between the resources and generosity of our Saint Kentigern community and the selected communities, but is not involved in the direct distribution to families.
Reverend Smith reports:
‘On the last day of an ‘interesting’ Term 3, I thought I would give you an update on the work of Saint Kentigern ‘The Shed’ initiative.
Up until the start of the Lockdown, we were distributing 30 food boxes per week. Since the start of Lockdown, this number has increased significantly and in the last week of the school term, despite the shortcomings of Lockdown, we distributed 88 boxes.
Indeed, in the six weeks from the start of Lockdown up until the end of the first week of the holidays, we will have delivered 505 food boxes at an estimated value of $75.00 per box. This equates to $38,875.00 worth of food.
In this time period, we have spent $14587.00 on perishable stock and, more recently, we have purchased non-perishable items as stock levels from our student Foodbanks are becoming depleted whilst Auckland remains in Lockdown. Currently, we are purchasing everything other than Weetbix, pasta & toilet paper, for which we still have some supplies.
In this respect, we are hugely grateful for the amazing $53,826 donated to The Shed by the Saint Kentigern parent community during Lockdown which, combined with the Trust Board’s donation of $25,000, has allowed us to continue this vital service to our wider Auckland community.
We are also very grateful to Mr Martin Piaggi (Director of Boarding) who has been packing the boxes during lockdown and ensuring they have been delivered.
In the last week of term, boxes were delivered to:
When we hopefully return to school in Term 4, our aim is to continue to deliver 50 boxes per week.
Our sincere thanks to our Saint Kentigern community for all your support in helping us to assist families in need. Without your support, there are many children who would otherwise go hungry.