Seeing children, including her own son, go to school without lunch has prompted a Tauranga woman to act.

Despite curveballs being thrown at her in every which way, Sheree Gundersen has found a backer her ‘el cheapo' lunch boxes.

Sheree Gundersen wants to help families who are struggling to provide school lunches for their children.

For just $2 a day, Sheree will provide a vegemite sandwich, an apple and orange, some carrot sticks, a roasted nut bar, a couple of rice crackers and a small bag of crisps.

Sheree, who lives hand to mouth and has had to send her son to school with no lunch because she had no money, came up with the idea after a friend set up a similar initiative in Huntly.

'She doing 80 lunches a day so there's obviously a need.” The friend adds a homemade muffin. 'I'm going healthy.”

However, the simple idea hit a speed bump early on when Sheree was told she needed a registered approved kitchen to prepare the lunches.

'I simply want to make a vegemite sandwich for some hungry kids. It's a blimmin' sandwich and I can't understand why it's such a big deal for everyone.”

Sheree says Tauranga City Council have put up barriers left, right and centre.

She needed a place to construct the lunches and did the responsible thing by calling the council about food safety and the bylaws.

'A nice lady named Rose understood it was a not for profit project and wrote me with forms for a fundraising food stall permit. The annual licence was $120.

'She also said she would be keen to hear how my project progressed. She was lovely and helpful.”

But the tone changed when Sheree sought council clarification on a couple of issues.

'A man told me to forget whatever anyone else from the council had told me. Even if it was ‘not for profit', I would still need a registered approved kitchen.”

Sheree says she is not cooking food, she's not handling raw meat.

'I am buttering two bits of bread. I just want to make some hungry school kids a vegemite sandwich. Fill some empty tummies, not go into business.”

Sheree was told "no" because the national Food Hygiene Regulations requires all food prepared for sale must be made on premises registered under these regulations.

Not-for-profit charitable organisations can provide food for donation in a non-registered area such as a domestic kitchen on payment of $120 for a fundraising food stall permit.

The $2 is the crux. It constitutes ‘selling' and so Sheree's school lunches fall under the regulations for commercially prepared food. So her lunches have to be prepared in a registered kitchen.

The Tauranga City Council insists its advice to Sheree on the strength of one phone conversation was correct.

Frustrating, because the rules don't take into account the circumstances and the intent – but the advice was correct nonetheless.

But not all is lost.

'Hell of a Hangi”, a popular takeout and catering company, opened its premises and kitchen to Sheree.

'They are wonderful, good hearted people who are giving something back.”

Sheree says they have a full commercial kitchen and food handling certificates.

'They have everything that is required by law.”

So she says she might have circumvented the council requirements and expensive permits.

'The kids are getting heaps of help, heaps of supports from heaps of people and I am thrilled.”

Like the person who has set up an automatic payment for $10 a week so one child will have a school lunch every day – every day!!

Sheree says a graphic artist has created some 'awesome Facebook posters - one saying coming soon, one saying order now”.

Another person has offered to sign write her car – she doesn't own one.

'And I don't drink or smoke either – can't afford to.”

However, she says is disappointed the council didn't cut her some slack.

'This didn't need to happen.”

Sheree's got a new Facebook page. Just go to Sheree's $2 lunches Tauranga.