How a pair of winter PJs can potentially change a child’s life

EMMA Jane Jones wants us to think about what a pair of donated winter pyjamas means to a child.

Apart from keeping them warm and snuggly at night, the early-childhood teacher says the garments go much farther.

‘‘They might mean the heater doesn’t have to go on, or that a child doesn’t get sick and has to stay away from a place like ours that feeds them three times a day. And if a parent doesn’t have to buy those pyjamas and has a bit of extra money to get to course or work you could be funding that parents’ degree or way off a benefit.’’

Jones is the manager of Otara’s ¯ Nga¯ Taonga Aroha early-childhood centre in Auckland and sees first hand how tough life is for many Kiwi families right now.

She says the country’s everincreasing costs of food and accommodation have stretched budgets, but for many of her families they’re beyond breaking point. Latest statistics show one in five children are living in income poverty, and going without the basics. ‘‘These are humble, hardworking families who don’t ask for handouts. They work their butts off and the ends still don’t meet.’’

This is where the pyjamas come in. The Kindness

Collective is aiming to provide 10,000 warm winter PJs for children like those at Nga¯

Taonga Aroha, many of whom have received brand-new pairs from the charity in the past.

Jones says it was the first time a lot of her children had received something new and just for them, and their little faces light up when they do. ‘‘Our tamariki are beautiful, well mannered and will eventually become well educated. They’re little sponges who are engaged in the community and they need support.’’

Ultimately, a pair of pyjamas isn’t going to solve every problem families are facing, she

‘Every child deserves comfort and warmth. It’s the bare minimum we should be helping people with.’

says, but the effect of a $15 gift shouldn’t be discounted. ‘‘Little things count, a little hand-up can make a life-changing difference. The little changes are magical in the end.’’

Sarah Page founded the Kindness Collective in 2014 as a way of helping children and families access things they need. Since then the charity has contributed over $1.7 million in donations to Kiwis, providing not just pyjamas but also building playgrounds and supplying Christmas and Easter presents.

Page says the need for help is unrelenting and pyjamas are in desperate demand from social agencies and charities.

‘‘I’m sending 140 pairs up to a service in Kaitaia this afternoon.’’

Like Jones, she says a pair of PJs isn’t going to lift anyone out of poverty, but it’s a tangible way to help families in need.

‘‘It’s just one less thing to worry about in a sea of worries. Every child deserves comfort and warmth. It’s the bare minimum we should be helping people with.’’

Pyjamas can be provided with a $15 donation through the collective’s website, which also lists drop-off points for those who prefer to buy their own.