Manna for schoolchildren

Manna founders Bev and John Lowe launched the Winter School Uniform project six years ago, starting out providing shoes and socks to five schools.

Over the years, Manna has clothed 6000 children, including 1000 students this year at 38 schools, thanks to a $100,000 donation from Impact100 WA ” the largest Manna has ever received.

‘I cried when we got it,’ Mrs Lowe said.

The Thornlie couple began the project when they were giving out free breakfasts to students.

They realised at many of the schools they visited, students did not have the correct uniform.

‘Kids were arriving at school wet through then the heater was turned on, they steam up and get chronically sick,’ Mrs Lowe said.

‘If you’re not in a school uniform you can’t go on school outings, so they’re ostracised.

‘I can change a kid’s status in their peer group by the socks they wear.’

Over the next two months, Manna volunteers will pack the uniforms at a warehouse donated by John Hughes and distribute them to uniform shops across the country, so parents can collect the uniform without any indication to other people the clothes are donated.