By Janika ter Ellen
Cooking Christmas lunch can be stressful at the best of times, but try cooking for 2000: 200 kilos of ham, 600 kilos of vegetables, and 25 buckets of fruit salad.
“We're doing one pot each, and then we have to each do another one, so it's - how much is it? Eighty litres of gravy,” says volunteer Pauline Faiers.
It will be the biggest Christmas lunch ever held by the Auckland City Mission. Usually approached by about 300 people a week in the lead-up to Christmas - this year, it's over 1000.
“I've been the city missioner for twelve years, and this is the most people I've seen coming through our doors asking for help,” says Auckland City Missioner Diane Robertson.
Donations of food have been down this year, but thanks to a last minute rush, there are 20, 000 presents here - to be delivered to children in need by their very own Christmas angels.
In Wellington, 1000 food and toy hampers were going out to families in need.
“They open the door and they see us there and the kids, and they're smiling and happy and overwhelmed. There's usually some tears and we cry along with them,” says Wellington City Missioner Father Des Britten.
Melissa Delaware was among those for whom Christmas came early today. She works part-time as a postie and is studying to become a personal trainer - all while caring for three children.
“Without the support, you know the financial support as well as the mental side of things with city mission, I don't think I would have been able to cope,” she says.
Without the Mission, she says, Christmas just wouldn't have happened.
3 News