Canteen Aotearoa

Join us in cheering on Canteen Ambassador and Gold Medalist Holly Robinson as she represents Paralympics New Zealand in Paris!

Holly supports Canteen and rangatahi impacted by cancer because of the connection she feels to overcoming challenges and the importance of having a strong support network. 🫶

“I believe that everyone has challenges along their journey in life. Growing up with a disability has brought its own challenges, and along that journey, I’ve had some incredible organisations and people support me. The rangatahi Canteen supports are going through some of the most challenging times in their lives and I know that support is crucial during this time.”

Good luck Holly, we're behind you all the way! Kia ora! ❤️🥇

Paralympic Games

Wrapping up an incredible July at Canteen Aotearoa ❤️✨️
From inspiring events and impactful community support, to smashing fundraising milestones and creating new connections, we’ve seen huge awhi and dedication from our rangatahi and supporters. 🤗

Meet this absolute legend, Melanie! ✨
Last year, facing a cancer diagnosis, Melanie was struggling to manage both full-time employment and studies. The Canteen Rangatahi Development Grant provided much-needed support.

“The Canteen Rangatahi Development Grant significantly impacted my life. Last year, upon receiving a cancer diagnosis, I juggled full-time employment and studies until August 2023 when I had to take a break from both for treatment. Luckily, I got the chance to go back to studying this year thanks to the grant.

"Adjusting to studying with my altered brain function proved challenging, and I honestly believe I wouldn't have been able to continue without the invaluable resources provided by Canteen.

These resources have not only made studying more manageable but also eased fatigue for me. Without the Canteen Rangatahi Development Grant support, I wouldn't have been able to afford these essential supplies, which I am forever grateful for.” ❤️

Did we sleigh, or did we slay? ❄️🏂️ The South Island's rangatahi seized an epic opportunity to spend a day hitting the slopes at Mt Hutt - a truly unforgettable event!

All day passes, ski gear, and slope lessons for our rangatahi were generously gifted by the amazing Mt Hutt crew - thank you for your maanaki! 🥰

Our events give rangatahi the opportunity to meet other rangatahi who understand what they're going through and have some fun at the same time!

Making memories on the rugby field. 🏉❤️ It was an incredible experience to watch the All Blacks team training for the weekend test match - the presence of our rangatahi must have given them some good luck 🇳🇿🏆️⁠
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Attending events like this gives rangatahi a much needed break from cancer. ✨️⁠
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Smiles, laughter, and bandannas! ❤️ We loved seeing all the schools who participated in this year's Bandanna Day School Challenge - with students across Aotearoa coming together to raise money for Canteen. 🎉

Highlights included:
💇‍♂️ Head shaves
🏃 Colour runs
🧁 Bake sales
✨ Hosting a Bandanna Day

The school challenge raised over $5,700, which will help fund Canteen's vital services to ensure rangatahi don't face cancer alone. 🙌

Ngā mihi nui whānau! Our community has shown tremendous support this Bandanna Day 💪🎉 Over a thousand bandannas purchased and thousands of generous donations - you've made an incredible impact. ❤️ Wehi nā!

Bandanna Day 2024 has wrapped up, but you can still get behind and support our rangatahi by buying bandannas or texting 'CANTEEN' to 3663 to make an instant $3 donation. 🎉

This month's Kai & Korero events across Aotearoa focused on creativity and connection. ❤️🎨 Each hub took part in designing their own bandanna to celebrate Bandanna Day!

These events brought our rangatahi together, strengthening connections and created fun memories. 🙌

Reflecting on the incredible opportunity to host the X-Shot Battle Arena at Armageddon Expo in Tāmaki Makaurau! 💥 Over 900 people took to the arena and donated money to ensure rangatahi don't have to face cancer alone.

A huge thank you to Armageddon Expo for this opportunity, and to X-Shot for supplying us with the awesome X-Shot blasters!

Rangatahi members Christina and Alexandra bravely chopped off their hair! 💇🏽‍♀️

The sisters raised over $5,300 for Canteen, so that we can support more rangatahi impacted by cancer like them. ❤️ And don't they look amazing?!

Christina said: "This is my last year at Canteen and I wanted to do something BIG as a final thank you for everything Canteen has done for me, and to support future members." 🙌

Forgot to buy your bandanna? You can still support rangatahi impacted by cancer by texting 'CANTEEN' to 3663 to make an instant $3 donation. 🙌 Spread the word. 😎

Today is Bandanna Day! 🥳 Join us in making some noise and raising awareness for rangatahi impacted by cancer across Aotearoa. ❤️

WEAR your SUPPORT and share it on your socials with the hashtag !

Bandanna Day is our iconic annual fundraising event and your support is vital as we receive no direct government funding. All funds raised from Bandanna Day donations will go directly towards helping us reach more rangatahi in need of support and continue providing our vital services.

Join us tomorrow and WEAR your support for all rangatahi impacted by cancer across Aotearoa. ❤️

Show off your awesome style by snapping a pic of yourself sporting your favourite bandanna. 😄

Funds raised from Bandanna Day go directly towards helping us reach more rangatahi in need of support and continue providing our vital support services. 🙌

Our feline companions are absolutely adorable in our bandannas... though it seems they might not be entirely thrilled about donning them! 👀 🐱

🔗 Join in Bandanna Day by visiting shop.canteen.org.nz

Paws-itively rocking our bandannas! Your furry friends are melting our hearts showing their support for rangatahi impacted by cancer. 🐶❤️

Have you snagged yours and one for your furry friend? Bandanna Day is just around the corner, on Friday, 14 June. 🎉

🔗 Visit shop.canteen.org.nz to buy a bandanna!

This month at Canteen, we've been beaming with smiles all around ❤️ From hosting our annual Leadership Camp to unveiling our latest bandanna designs, we're brimming with love and awhi. 🌟

We're looking forward to our iconic Bandanna Day in June, and excited to see our supporters proudly wear their support for rangatahi impacted by cancer. 🙌

Head over to shop.canteen.org.nz and grab your bandannas for Bandanna Day on Friday, June 14th! 🎉

We're excited to to introduce two NEW bandanna designs this year, which would be a purr-fect choice for animal lovers! 🐶🐱

Our stylish dog bandanna features illustrations of different dog breeds, each paired with their own pair of fashionable glasses. 🐕

For fans of the feline kind, our cat bandanna features cute illustrations of cats getting up to all sorts of mischief. 😻

These bandannas are perfect to pair with any outfit, or even tie around your favourite pup's neck at the dog park! ❤️

➡️ Visit shop.canteen.org.nz to get your hands on some bandannas for Bandanna Day on Friday, June 14th! 🎉

1 WEEK TO GO! 🎉🙌 Canteen and Drax Project are teaming up for Bandanna Day 2024, challenging schools across Aotearoa to join their epic fundraising school challenge and help continue to support rangatahi impacted by cancer.

This year the Aotearoa Bandanna Day School Champs will win a live performance by Drax Project at their school! 🎤🏫

The challenge kicks off on 1 June, so get the schools of rangatahi in your whānau involved! 💪

Let’s make a difference together! 🤘

Find out more here: https://fundraise.canteen.org.nz/school-challenge-2024

With our annual Bandanna Day coming up, we're giving a big shout-out to supporters anihana for showing one of the endless ways you can wear your support! 🙌

The team wear our Whanaungatanga Bandanna, which include words like 'courage, connection and acceptance', to keep their hair out of their way in the warehouse. Production Manager, Yash, said "These words link perfectly with our four company values: caring, curious, harikoa and authentic. Introducing new procedures doesn't have to be boring." ❤️

Show your support this bandanna day by purchasing bandannas, and feel confident that no matter which one you pick, you are supporting rangatahi impacted by cancer. 🎉

➡️ Visit shop.canteen.org.nz

Wear your support this Bandanna Day! ❤️
Friday, 14 June is Bandanna Day, and we're asking our supporters to get involved by buying bandannas, wearing their support, or fundraising for Canteen. 🙌

💞 Your support is vital as Canteen receives no direct government funding.

Visit shop.canteen.org.nz to purchase a bandanna and show your support for Canteen! 🎉

Quinn was seven years old when she was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer called Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumour (PNET). She underwent widespread feelings of isolation throughout her cancer experience.

“I couldn’t relate to my peers anymore. After my friendship group started excluding me, I began having trust issues, which didn’t help things once I reached high school. Most break times I would sit in a classroom or a corridor by myself."

Quinn joined Canteen at the age of 13, where she was able to connect, share the tough stuff, and get a break for cancer. She is now a rangatahi leader, providing peer support, and advocating for rangatahi to have access to essential support services 🌟❤️

🔗 Check out Quinn's full story here: https://www.canteen.org.nz/about-us/rangatahi-stories/Quinn

April was full of big support, big connections, and big awhi ❤️

🙌 Our Youth Worker team hosted awesome events for rangatahi to connect, our clinical team held individual support sessions that are confidential and completely free, and we made big preparations for our upcoming annual Leadership Camp and national Bandanna Day appeal.

💇‍♀️ A big shout out to fundraiser Lottie, who generously raised over $1,400 dollars for Canteen's essential services by chopping her hair after growing it out for a long 7 years - nga mihi!

Our Youth Workers have been running peer events across the country, from rock climbing to jewelry making! ✨

Peer events give rangatahi an opportunity to connect with others going through similar stuff, help reduce isolation, and provide a break from cancer. 🧘‍♂️ Sometimes it’s tricky to get to a face-to-face event, so we also run online events too!

To all the businesses that support our events, ngā mihi nui! ❤️❤️❤️

Rangatahi were lost in a kaleidoscope of colors and creativity at the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei! 🌈✨

Events are so important for providing opportunities to take a break from cancer, meet other rangatahi who understand what they're going through, and have some fun at the same time. ❤️

"My Kubi Robot has worked really well to help me feel connected to my class, teachers and peers. My friends at school have carried the robot around the school grounds and corridors, which allowed the me to connect with peers - I loved it!" 💜

🤖 Canteen is using Kubi Robots, an innovative piece of teleconferencing technology, that enables rangatahi undergoing cancer treatment to gain a virtual presence in school, allowing them to attend classes, participate in discussions, and interact with friends during lunch breaks.

Currently, we have five Kubi Robots being utilised by rangatahi across Aotearoa, and have more prepared and awaiting deployment! 🙌

It's all thanks to our amazing supporters that we are able to support rangatahi with projects like this. ❤️

✨ It's been an incredible month of supporting rangatahi facing cancer, filled with heartfelt connections and action-packed events that have truly amazed us! 💪 Standout moments include:

🎣 Reeling in some serious fun at our annual CanFish event,
🍕 Turning up the heat with a sizzling pizza and games night,
🎲 Getting competitive and learning new indoor games in Dunedin,
🏃‍♂️ Raising over $7,300 for Canteen at Round the Bays fun run,
⛳ Last but not least, we wrapped up the month with some frisbee golf action in Invercargill!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our donors and supporters for enabling Canteen provide a safe space for rangatahi to connect, share the tough stuff, and get a break from cancer. ❤️

Frisbee golf, indoor games, great pizza and incredible company - whats not to love?! 🌟

Despite unfavorable weather in Dunedin, our planned outdoor picnic turned into a delightful indoor gathering filled with pizza, games, and laughter. The game Telestrations proved to be a hit, inspiring plenty of amusing stories among the team. 🎲

In Invercargill, a sunny evening at Queen's Park provided the perfect backdrop for a game of Frisbee Golf, followed by a tasty meal of fish and chips. These events brought our rangatahi together, strengthening connections and creating fun memories. ❤️

🎣 Our annual CanFish event created an exceptionally memorable day, engaging everyone from rangatahi, Canteen whānau, organisers and volunteers, to water bombers and supporters!

This event exemplified community collaboration, providing 40 rangatahi from across Aotearoa with the chance to hit the water, operate reels to catch their own fish, forge connections, and take a break from cancer! ❤️

Thanks to our generous supporters and donors, all event flights, transportation, and accommodations for rangatahi were fully covered, ensuring no barriers to participation. 🙌

Keep your eyes peeled... more highlights from this remarkable event on the way... ✨

Read more about the event here: https://www.canteen.org.nz/about-us/news/CanFish-2024

We're still buzzing one week on since our incredible fundraisers conquered Round the Bays! 🏃‍♂️💪 Grateful for this opportunity to community fundraise and show support for rangatahi impacted by cancer across Aotearoa ❤️

Fancy getting involved or hosting a fundraising event? Maybe a head shave, exercise challenge, or even a sky-dive? Drop us a message, we'd love to hear from you! 🙌

On , and every day, we celebrate the power and brilliance of the inspiring wāhine involved in various positions across our organisation 💪 From the courageous voices of our rangatahi, to the compassionate care provided by our clinicians, each plays a vital role in shaping a brighter future 🌟 Let's keep lifting each other higher, today and every day! ❤️