At Fuel the Need, they believe it takes a village to raise a child, and have started with those closest to them - in their own backyard - right here in Upper Hutt.
Launched in 2016, Fuel the Need is an initiative run by Daltons Gym Charitable Trust founder, Manuel Dalton, with a mission to fuel the needs of Upper Hutt primary and intermediate children – one school lunch at a time 😊
Fast forward to today, and the daily number of lunches fluctuates every school term, from 46 through to 68.
These are children in schools across Upper Hutt that are going hungry on a daily basis. They have been identified through the school Principals, though their identity remains behind the school gates. Manuel and his team of volunteers don’t know who they are, but what they do know is that they are providing nutritious morning tea & lunch packages to these children, because every child deserves the opportunity to learn, thrive and become amazing!
With a dedicated team of volunteers who prepare the lunches each morning in a local primary school kitchen, and operate a roster system to deliver these lunches to 12 schools across the city, it’s a well-run ship.
Fuel the Need has a close working relationship with Damon and his team at Pak n Save Upper Hutt, where they purchase all items on a twice weekly basis. The current cost per child, per lunch is $3, and is currently funded through on-going fundraising efforts, the generosity of the local public, a handful of local businesses and churches.
And that’s what we’d like to change. For Manuel and his team to be able to focus on what they’re doing, rather than how they’re going to do it by having to constantly raise funds.
And that’s where you come in.
If you switched your spend on just 5 everyday essentials that you use per month, you’d cover the cost of providing 2 lunches to a child who needs it.
All you have to do is shop in the right place, and make it count.
