1000 Days Appeal introduces Next Generations Initiative to support tamariki

The Salvation Army is announcing the Next Generations Initiative, part of a goal to raise $1 million to support 1000 tamariki and rangatahi across the motu for 1000 days.

The Next Generations Initiative is the second phase of the 1000 Days Appeal, which was announced in 2023.

The appeal supports varied assistance, such as funded early childhood education, wraparound support to whānau including social work, financial mentoring and counselling, back-to-school supplies, pēpi essentials like nappies and baby food, and parenting support programmes. Activities for older children are also in the mix, including Aspire Youth—a programme for at-risk teens aged 11–16.

The Salvation Army aims to break the cycle of hardship and struggle, which is often handed down from generation to generation.

“The first 1000 days of life is a critical time in which the environment a child is brought up in can impact their pathway in life,” says Territorial Director of Community Ministries Jono Bell.

“We want to provide more services that support children and their families to navigate crucial life stages and empower healthy development.

“It's great to have a guarantee that funds will be funnelled into vital services for families. Hardship affects the whole family, not just an individual. It is a sad reality that children who are living in poverty miss out on happy and nurturing childhoods.

“As the cost-of-living crisis continues, we are seeing more and more demand for our services, particularly our foodbanks. More funding will reduce the amount of people we are forced to turn away when the food runs out.”

All donations to the appeal are allocated to fund services which directly affect families, and therefore among our nation’s most important assets: our tamariki and rangatahi.

More information about the Appeal, including how to donate, is available on The Salvation Army website: https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/1000days.

The Salvation Army Territorial Media Officer, 021 945 337, email: media@salvationarmy.org.nz (The Media Officer responds to enquiries from media outlets and journalists. If you would like to donate, are in need of help, or have some other non-media-related enquiry, please call 0800 53 00 00.)