Donations to food banks have dropped significantly as the economic recession starts to bite.
While charities have less to give, more families are asking for extra support in the run up to Christmas.
Emergency food parcels will feed a family of four for four days. They have basic necessities like flour, milk powder and bread, as well as a few treats.
Auckland City Mission says demand for them is through the roof as families find it hard to cope.
"We're getting more people who are coming back more than two or three times, because their family situation is just quite desperate really," says Diane Robertson, chief executive of the Auckland City Mission.
But New Zealanders are donating less to fund the emergency provisions.
"It's sort of about 17 percent down overall, and then when we see that we have an increase in people coming to us, and that's over 21 percent more people coming through our doors asking for help, then it makes quite a difference to the organisation's being able to respond," says Ms Robertson.
A web-based foodbank in Taranaki has also experienced a significant drop in donations.
"Funding is down by 50 percent, and that's just a pure reflection of the state of the economy and demand is probably up about 100 percent so there's a shortfall there," says Mark Ferguson of Online Foodbank.
Donations of old beds and bedding, household furniture, toys and even Christmas presents for needy families are also down. And with Christmas just around the corner, it is a worrying trend.
"Thousands of people will come through our doors looking to put food on their table during the holiday period, and providing Christmas dinner for 1600 people, and so for us it's a big ask I guess," says Ms Robertson.
The City Mission's Christmas appeal has just been launched, and it is worried it won't be able to raise enough funds to provide for people in need.
More than 1000 food parcels need to go out over the festive period in the next four weeks, and as the economic situation worsens, fundraising is only going to get harder.
3 News