A trip to the beach is among treasured items Barnados New Zealand wants to provide needy kids with this summer.
The charity, which supports nearly 9000 families, has set up a Givealittle appeal page and is urging people to help less fortunate families who are struggling to make ends meet.
Among Christmas treats the funds will be spent on are paying for trips to the beach, something viewed as a luxury outing by some of the poorest in our community. Other money would be spent on food parcels and services.
Chief executive Jeff Sanders said one in six Kiwi children were living in poverty without basic home comforts such as healthy food, a warm home and visits to the doctor.
For them, a day at the beach to play in the sand was too expensive. Presents and a special Christmas dinner were a "pipe dream".
Instead, they lived in homes where financial tensions often escalated into violence and Christmas was filled with stress and no presents.
This year, Barnardos was using the online fundraising website to make the holiday better for thousands of children in their care.
Hamilton-based Barnardos social worker Sharon Leggett said, for many, the cost of travel put a Kiwi beach experience out of reach for many families she dealt with.
"Raglan is the closest beach to us and it's 40 minutes away. Once you take into account the cost of petrol there and back, it's just too much of a luxury for some families. So many children have never been able to experience that."
Auckland-based social worker Sharyn Chow said many city children Barnardos worked with stayed home over summer. Many families had no cars and rarely headed out.
"In Auckland, rents are so high that by the time it is paid off, if something goes wrong they're left with the dilemma of paying the bills or feeding the kids."
Sanders said nearly 40 per cent of the families Barnardos supported had issues related to housing and income.
Families had little opportunity to go anywhere and struggled to find free things for children to do.
"The children are bored, people get despondent and the likelihood of violence and abuse increases," Sanders said.
Barnardos would also run a Facebook 12 days of Christmas campaign, telling stories of families the charity had helped throughout the year.
The charity was also appealing for gifts to be dropped off at various locations around the country.
* Donations can be made at: givealittle.co.nz/cause/barnardoschristmas
By Lynley Bilby of the Herald on Sunday
