Children across the country are struggling this winter with many lacking appropriate shoes for the cold months, an advocate says.
Last year, KidsCan supplied more than 50,000 pairs of shoes to students in need.
This year, they have nearly 100 schools on their wait list.
KidsCan chief executive Julie Chapman told Breakfast this morning that the situation's "very bad".
"For our most vulnerable students and their families, things are even tougher than they have been," she said.
"We are seeing more families that may have just been getting by now needing our support.
"We've got more than 10,000 children right now waiting for these shoes, raincoats, and also food."
Ōpaheke School principal Jade Tawhiti shared Chapman's concerns.
His school in South Auckland is one of those on the KidsCan wait list.
"We've had a number of families tip-toeing along that poverty line for a while, but now we're starting to see the increase," Tawhiti said.
"We're quite a large primary school, we've traditionally been a middle-income primary school.
"Now it's changing and we're getting a lot of families who are battling."
And some people who are newly in need feel embarrassment or shame over their situation, Chapman added.
"Kids don't put their hand up when they're hungry or when they need help," she said. "So teachers are telling us that they are more and more becoming like social services, having to meet those needs before they can actually teach."
Asked about the 98-school wait list, she said: "It is a lot, and then add to that the early childhood centres as well and that's over 260, so that's the biggest waiting list we've had since 2005.
"They can't wait, it's impacting their learning."
Anyone who wanted to donate was urged to do so via KidsCan's website.
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