New Zealanders encouraged to give the gift of reading to children and young people in need this Christmas
Children’s book-gifting charity Kiwi Christmas Books is aiming to deliver a record number of books into the hands of under-privileged kids this Christmas - and they are calling on generous New Zealanders to help them do it.
Members of the public can donate books through their local participating bookstore from November 1 or directly through the website at any time: www.kiwichristmasbook.org.nz
Kiwi Christmas Books provides brand new books to families who can’t afford to buy Christmas presents for their kids. It began as a personal project for TV reporter and author Sonya Wilson in 2019 and has now grown to a fully-fledged nationwide charity. Last year alone saw 6670 brand new books gifted to families in need or in crisis at Christmas time, across Aotearoa.
“All of the charities we work with are experiencing huge demand for their services,” Sonya says. “Many people are struggling. We want to be able to provide as many families as we can with great Kiwi books to give their kids. For many, it is their very first book, for others it is their very first Christmas present.”
Kiwi Christmas Books works with 21 different charities around the country to distribute books to families doing it tough, including the Auckland City Mission – Te Tapui Atawhai. Deb Ward is the Fundraising and Reputation Manager at the Mission and says over the last two years they’ve seen more people than ever need help and they expect this will be another tough Christmas for many in the community.
“The Mission gives out more than 30,000 Christmas gifts every year for tamariki who would otherwise go without, and we are entirely reliant on public collections of toys and books – like the Kiwi Christmas Books collection – to meet demand. Thanks to Kiwi Christmas Books, we’ve been able to help thousands of parents create the magic of Christmas for their families, providing them with beautiful brand-new books so their children have a special gift to open on Christmas morning.”
Journalist and author Sonya Wilson founded the Kiwi Christmas Books project while studying creative writing at the University of Auckland. She realised what a difference books and reading can make to children’s lives and wanted to address the fact that while some Kiwi kids grow up in houses filled with books, others, through no fault of their own, have none.
“Reading is hugely beneficial to young people. In books kids can travel into other worlds, into other heads, into experiences that might otherwise be out of their reach. I really hope that New Zealanders will jump on board this fantastic cause and buy books for kids in need, as well as for their own children, this Christmas. Books are a taonga, enriching the lives of children who often must go without.”
The Kiwi Christmas Books Campaign runs from November 1 until December 12, 2022. For more information, including a full list of participating bookstores, charities and recipients, please see: www.kiwichristmasbooks.org.nz
