Leaping fearlessly out of a plane. Donning hi-vis vests and packing pallets with tonnes of treats. Digging deep in school yards to plant bountiful orchards. These are just a few of the heroic deeds that Meridian Energy staff have done over the last decade to show the kids of Aotearoa that they care.
Since joining us in 2013, our Principal Partner Meridian has poured heart and soul into supporting KidsCan. For us to be there consistently for kids who are struggling, we need someone to have our own backs. Meridian has been that someone.
Over this decade, they’ve donated a whopping $5.5 million to help us feed and clothe tens of thousands of kids. These last few years have been some of the most turbulent ever experienced by NZ families – we’ve really seen the impact at KidsCan. But through Covid, cyclones and the current cost of living crisis, Meridian has shown up for us, helping to lessen the impact of these times on tamariki nationwide. When Covid hit in 2020, they gave $1 million to help Covid-affected families. That, along with generous public donations, allowed us to distribute food parcels for 4000 families in rural areas at serious risk of hunger because they had no access to supermarkets or food banks. The following year, their donations helped us to distribute 6,200 food parcels to struggling families. This year, their support has allowed us to be there for children in flood-stricken areas, including helping more than 100 whānau to get back on their feet with household packages of new furniture and other essentials.
With a keen eye on the future of our kids and our planet, Meridian has also provided us with an EV charging station and replaced two of our fleet vehicles with electric cars. They’ve taken groups of students on tours of their wind farms, showing them the exciting possibilities of sustainable energy sources.
They’ve also helped to put the spotlight on child poverty in Aotearoa. Many a Kiwi driving past their billboards or seeing their advertising campaigns has been inspired to give us support; many businesses have followed their example by donating to us.
We want to say an utterly heartfelt and massive ’thank you’ to Meridian for being a true friend to KidsCan, and for walking alongside us and the children we support.
