Operation Attend is a Police Operation carried out yearly throughout New Zealand, in an effort to curb truancy. In Glen Innes we do things differently than the rest of New Zealand, and as such are the only district with the results that children are returning to school. What we do differently is: Team up with Glen Innes Police, ATWC (Social Workers in Schools), ACES (Truancy Team), Community Liaison and Breakfast Club. Visit every targeted family by Police, ATWC and ACES two weeks out from the intended Operation and alert each family as well as obtaining any needs that they have and the make ..read more

First a Merry Christmas from all of us at Breakfast Club! Christmas Store   Less than a month out from our Christmas Store (22 December) and we have reached our $20,000 budget thanks to a few very generous corporate donors (5 donors together gave $10,000). There will be 200 families invited and around 1,000 children attending. Inside the Glen Innes School Hall we have the following stands with products at no charge: Life Church Hampers (200 of them) https://christmasbox.co.nz Vaka Tautua Stand with corned beef cans, frozen veggies, potatoes and onions Carter Farms Stand with mince, vermicel ..read more

A bit of history… In 2013 Breakfast Club put on a Christmas Banquet at Glen Innes School and invited 250 family members from some of the highest needs families living in Glen Innes, Glen Taylor and St Pius Schools.  It was a wonderful event delivered in the spirit of Christmas, and the following year it grew to serving 600 families! In 2015 we decided we wanted to do much more for these very high needs families, and so we created our first Christmas Store.  The first year saw 150 families benefit from the gifts of food and children’s presents, as well as enjoying a wonderful afternoon of fun ..read more

People often say – what do you do in a normal week Steve?  So here’s a list of what Breakfast Club did in our communities last week: Monday 7.30am Glen Innes School Breakfast Club Uplift grocery credits from New World Eastridge St Kentigern School ring Breakfast Club to offer a set of goal posts.  I never say no…. but no idea what to do with them!  Call around and deliver them to a very grateful Glen Taylor School. Uplift 30 plastic pallets from Abes Bagels for our Whakatane farmer in exchange for a ‘pig for the Hangi’ this week at Glen Innes School Sort Grocery Credits from New World Eastridg ..read more

Almost half way through 2018 and we are already starting to plan for the Christmas Store again. Christmas Store 2017 This was our most successful Christmas event, with 160 families invited and 700 children.  Most families left with over $500 worth of groceries but there is no doubt that the most excitement was with the children who were thrilled to receive hours of free food and entertainment.    Outside the ‘Christmas Store’ was: Cafe2U van who created 80 smoothies and 180 latte’s Mr Whippy who made 800 ice creams The Lollie Room who gave away $800 worth of sweets Four face painters who were ..read more

Christmas Store On the 23rd of December 2017 we ran our third Christmas Store at Glen Innes School, and invited 160 families and 700 children along. The families were selected by the School Social Worker and the Principal. We had families from Glen Innes, Glen Taylor, St Pius, Tamaki, Te Kohanga (Port Waikato) Schools as well as Vaka Tautua Charity. Presents were also sent to Year One children at Leabank School in Manurewa. Our Brochure explains graphically how the day was set out. Families took home in excess of $500 worth of food and the children had free Mr Whippy, Lollies, Facepainting ..read more

When Breakfast Club started at Glen Innes School in 2013, we heard that a large number of families at that school do not celebrate Christmas as they can not afford to. Immediately that Christmas, on the 23rd of December we put on a Banquet for 150 people.  The following year we did the same and invited 600 people. For the past two years we have created a Christmas Store, on the 23rd of December where we gave food to 100 families and presents to 500 children. This year we have increased the Christmas Store, doubled the size of the ‘Playground’ outside the store for the children and invited 150 ..read more

Te Kohanga is a small rural primary school which sits near the Waikato River. The school is 15 minutes away from its closest town, Port Waikato, a popular West Coast surf beach. The school is situated at the foot of a mountain and surrounded by farm land with the majority of the school’s students traveling from the Port area by bus each day to school. The school was established in 1913 and has been an important part of the Port Waikato, Te Kohanga and Onewhero community over the past 100 years. At its peak, it had a roll of 120 students however this has fallen significantly over the last two d ..read more

As usual, I must apologise for my tardiness in getting out a newsletter before now.  My main problem is finding the time from being out on the road to sitting down putting my ideas into words.  Hopefully now, with a new team member on board, that time will be found. Here are a few of the main events from the end of last year and this year so far: 2016 – 2017 Brochure   Every month, for compliance purposes with the Charities Commission, I create a donation schedule of what we receive (the monetary value of these donations) and where we send it.  In 2016 we, for the first time, exceeded $500,00 ..read more

On the 23rd of December 2016, we are holding our annual Christmas Store at Glen Innes School.  The Social Worker’s and Principals at four of our schools, and our invited Charity Vaka Tautua – have selected 100 families and invited them to attend. Every family will receive about $500 worth of groceries (including a bone Ham) and every child will receive a present (thanks to the Christmas Box http://aucklandshoeboxchristmas.co.nz) .  Also we are setting up for the Children: Facepainting Icecreams Drinks Hot Dogs Games After the mothers have completed their shopping they will go to a Pamper Area ..read more