Food bank focuses students

Maria Miyao, Ty Weeks, Mel Te Patu, Kayla Stampa (former student), Coral Hannah & Thomas Adams (former student) with donated goods they helped collect for the student food bank.
PHOTO / Stuart Munro

Whanganui UCOL students have found a way to help themselves - and gain valuable skills along the way.

Students from the New Zealand certificate in foundation skills chose to help students suffering financial hardship by bolstering UCOL's food bank.

The course is all about preparing students for further study or employment. There are six students on the course which acts as a kind of substitute for NCEA level 1 and 2.

Tutor Ty Weeks said students learn about literacy, numeracy, setting goals, writing CVs, interviewing and finances.

"Part of our financing module was that we had to raise money for a cause.

"We talked about a lot of things, sausage sizzles, bake-offs, door-knocking and all of that.

"We thought about how tough it is for students in winter with higher electricity bills to be able to feed themselves and we found out the food bank was low at the time, so we got to work."

UCOL Whanganui's food bank helps students suffering financial hardship and unable to afford decent food.

The students designed and made boxes which they dropped off at points around their Whanganui campus, appealing for food to be placed inside.

After three weeks of collecting cans, packets and all sorts of food, Weeks estimated they had collected more than 200 items.

"It would have been enough to stack a big shopping trolley really high.

"It was great to see. As a lecturer I want to make a difference for these students and have them thinking positively of themselves and of course others as well."

Weeks has been a chef tutor for several years, but took on the six-month foundation skills gig at the start of this year.

He said students will graduate in six weeks and a lot have already confirmed their future plans, moving on to study subjects such as early childhood education, automotive studies, computer graphic design, midwifery and office administration.

"It's been good for them to see that they can do something positive for others. These students have had different upbringings and they understand the importance of something like donating to the food bank.

"There's a lot more to being a student than just studying - as people, they have really come out of their shells and for me that has been rewarding to see."

By Jesse King
Wanganui Chronicle 28/5/18