Tauranga charity Under the Stars is praising the service of Aquinas students and teachers who arrive at school early each Thursday to make lunch for the area’s homeless.

About 10 students gather in a Food Technology classroom at 8.00 a.m. each Thursday to make sandwiches or rolls, which Under the Stars then distributes to 30 to 40 homeless residents. The group also serves dinner to as many as 75 people each Saturday night from its Cliff Road premises.

Having Aquinas students lend a hand and prepare the supplied food has been a major timesaver for organisers. “It takes a huge weight off of us,” said Operations Manager Laura Wood.

The Aquinas-Under the Stars initiative was spearheaded by Mathematics Teacher Fraser Graham, a regular stalwart at the Thursday morning sessions.

Recipients of the lunches range in age from 30 to 80, some of them elderly couples. Under the Stars lunches and dinners provide not just food but also companionship and social engagement for the local homeless.

Students interested in joining the Thursday morning sessions are welcome to join in. Students of all ages take part, with their efforts counting toward their RE or Duke of Edinburgh service.