Boxing hero Joseph Parker joined the Eat My Lunch team at 6.30am today to make the 1,000,000 GIVE lunch. The lunch was
one of 2830 GIVE lunches made by Eat My Lunch this morning and delivered to hungry school children across Auckland,
Hamilton Wellington and Christchurch.
Parker, an ambassador for Eat My Lunch, was joined by Claire Chitman, Jamie McDell, Suzy Cato, Shavaugh Ruakere among
others to celebrate this milestone occasion.
“Being part of Eat My Lunch, and making the 1,000,000 lunch is really special. I was surprised to learn how many kids go
to school without lunch. It’s great to know we are making a difference giving kiwi kids a lunch so they can concentrate
on learning rather than how hungry they are,” says Parker.
In just over three years Eat My Lunch has grown from a home business to feeding thousands of kids every day in 91
schools, and is on a mission to ensure no Kiwi kid goes to school hungry.
“It’s really fantastic to reach that 1,000,000th Give lunch and we couldn’t have done it without the support of all
those great people and companies who buy our lunches, our incredible staff and the hundreds of volunteers who help make
our Give lunches,” says CEO and founder Lisa King.
A recent survey conducted by Eat My Lunch asked teachers and principals what the biggest impact of Eat My Lunch was for
the children, with the most common response being increased attendance, and a reduction in the shame or stigma children
and whanau have when they do come to school without lunch.
“Eat My Lunch has allowed us to support parents in getting our children to school and our children have assurance they
will have lunch and no longer be hungry in class. It has also exposed them to different foods they would not have
otherwise eaten,” says Te Papapa School Principal Robyn Curry.
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