Māpua School has given a huge funding boost to a local Christmas charity, which works to ensure that every child gets a visit from Santa.
The students have raised more than $2161.90 towards The Christmas Project, which last year arranged presents and snacks for more than 200 children throughout the district.
The students made a range of goods that were sold at their Matariki Market late last term. These included bottle rocket car sets, lip balms, candles, kaleidoscopes and chopping boards.
Twelve-year-old Kate says that they had consider the products they could make, the customers who might like to buy them, and how much of their own money they would need to put into the ideas to get them off the ground.
“It was really fun to work in a team and develop a product that we could be proud to sell,” she says.
Principal Sharon Prestidge says that the project fitted with their technology focus for term two. The research-and-development phase also gave the children plenty of practise of one of the school’s new values: resilience.
She says it was great for the children to have an awareness that everyone’s world was not the same as theirs, “but they can make a difference”.
Although there are still many weeks until Christmas, Tarmra Heal-Palmer is well aware that the countdown weighs heavily on many local families. She founded The Christmas Project nine years ago, delivering presents and snacks to families who were struggling to afford them.
There are already about 150 children on this year’s Christmas list, and Tarmra is expecting the need to increase to more than 300.
“We have a different demographic that’s added this year with Mum and Dad not being able to make ends meet, let alone even think about Christmas.”
She says The Christmas Project is also there to support people who need a small hand up, as she has heard a lot of parents saying that they thought they would be okay this year, only to be stymied by interest rates, food prices and rates.
Donations of new items will be able to be dropped off at Westrupp Jewellers and the Motueka Vehicle Testing Station as of late October, and donations are welcome at any time to The Christmas Project bank account at 03 069300975 001.
Tarmra says that it will cost an estimated $15,000 to fill the need this year, and Māpua School’s donation is a huge step towards ensuring that “no child is left wondering why Santa didn’t come”.
She says that there are no words to describe the gift.
“My heart feels so full.”
