OCTOBER 2019| The Australian Women’s Weekly 71
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ulieChapmanknows
betterthanmostthe
harshrealityoflifefor
manyofNewZealand’s
mostimpoverishedfami.
Thecharityshefounded,KidsCan,
willthisyearfeedmorethan30,000
children.Formanyofthem,thefood
theyreceiveat schoolwillbetheonly
nutritiousmealthey’llget.Whenone
littleboywhoreceiveda KidsCanmeal
wasaskedwhathe’dhadfordinnerthe
nightbefore,hereplied,“Redsoup.”
Wasit tomato?“No.”Redsoupwas
thewaterthatredsausageshadbeen
boiledin thedaybefore.
Suchis lifefortheonein fourKiwi
kidsgrowingupin poverty.
Julieis a self-confesseddoer.“Ilike
creatingsolutionstosocialissuesnot
beingaddressed,”shetellsmefrankly.
Wechatin herofficein northAuckland,
abovea warehousecrammedwithfood,
clothingandsanitaryitemsdestinedfor
childrenandteenagersin need.Sheis
justbackfroma sessionat thegym,
sportingflowingmustardtrouserswith
a pairofkillerheelstomatch.“Ihavea
weaknessforshoes,”shesays,grinning.
Juliewasmovedto
foundKidsCanwhena
teacherfriendtoldher
kidsweren’tcomingto
schoolwhenit rained
becausetheyhadno
shoesorraincoats.
“Well,let’sgetthem
raincoats,”Juliesaid.
Shetellsme:“Itjust
seemedlikea tangible,
practicalsolution.”
Hersis a simplemantra:“Ifwedon’t
investin theeducationofchildrenliving
in poverty,thepovertycyclewillcontinue.
“Wecan’texpectkidstofocusin class
whentheirfeetarefreezing,ortheir
uniformsarewet,ortheirtummiesare
growling.”Sherecallsa studentwho
wasstuckona creativewritingexercise.
Theteachertoldhim,“Justwritewhat’s
in yourhead.”Hefilledthepage.“I’m
hungry,I’mhungry,I’mhungry,”it read.
“Wecan’tunderestimatetheimpact
thathas,”shesays.“It’snotjustfeeling
hungry – it’s feeling shame. Kids noticehentheydon’thavewhat
thershave.Theydon’twant
o bedifferent.Andwhenthey’re
verwhelmedbyshame,they’re
learning.”
It’shardnottobeinspiredbyJulie.
Sheis a one-womanpowerhouse.
(Shewoulddisputethat,sayingsheis
surroundedbya teamofgoodpeople.)
Sheuseshermarketingbackgoundto
greateffect,galvanisingloyalcorporate
andpublicsupportforhercause.
“Igetfrustratedbyinaction.I liketo
getthingsdone,”shesays.
Julieinheritedthosevaluesfrom
herparents.Sheis AliceandKenneth
Helson’sonlychild.Herdadmanaged
thelegendaryAucklanddemolitionfirm
Smith’s.Hermum,anAustralian,met
Kennethwhilehereonholidayand
stayedon,workingalongsidehim.
“Dadwasa verypracticalmanoffew
words,”Juliesays.“Hewastenaciousand
impatient.I’mprobablythesame.”With
a grin,sheadds,“AlthoughI’velearntto
bemorepatientasI’vegrownolder.”
Hermumwascalmandlevel.“Shewas
neverflustered.Inmywholechildhood
I neveronceheardmyparentsargue.”
Aliceattended
theSalvationArmy
churchin Glenfield,
wheretheywereliving
whenJuliewasborn,
andmadesureher
daughterwentto
Sundayschool.
There,Julielearnt
theimportanceof
communityand
ofgiving.
Thefamilywouldsoonmovewestto
a bushblockin Oratia,WestAuckland,
whereKennethvolunteeredforDOC.
Juliewenttothelocalschoolsand
finishedupat HendersonHighSchool.
“I’ma Westie,”shesaysproudly,but
there’sanelementofsadnesstheretoo.
Heroldschoolis nowoneofthosethat
KidsCansupports.“Itcertainlydidn’t
needthatsupportwhenI wasthere.”
KidsCanis nowworkingin 740decile
1-4schoolsnationwide,makingsurethe
kidsgetat leastonenutritiousmeala
day, plus a raincoat, shoes and healthWithJUDY BAILEYThe Judy Bailey interview
“It’snot just
feelinghungry,
it’s feeling shame.
Kidsdon’t want
to be different.”