A sharp increase in the number of people needing help from Auckland's City Mission this Christmas is a sign of the financial problems of the past year, the organisation says.
"We've already provided emergency food grants or food parcels to 1207 families this season, compared to just 800 this time last year," Auckland City Mission spokeswoman Diane Robertson said.
"Over 400 of the families we have helped over the last couple of weeks are first time users of food banks. We're seeing people who are among the 60,000 people made redundant in the past twelve months who have run through any resources they had, and are now really struggling."
Ms Robertson said for many it was their first time needing assistance from a charity.
"They are often very embarrassed and apologise for coming to us. They usually ask for the bare minimum and, if we try to provide further help, they are often reluctant to ask for anything more as they say they 'don't want to be greedy'."
Families, including 4088 children, were among those that the charity had assisted so far this holiday season.
"It's heartbreaking for parents to feel that they are not able to provide adequately for their children at any time, but it feels worse at Christmas when you have neither enough food, nor the means to give your children even a small present."
The mission provided a new present for each child in families receiving emergency food assistance and was still in need of presents, particularly for children aged under four and teenagers, Ms Robertson said.
"People are generous to us at this time of the year, and we will welcome any more donations of gifts, non-perishable food, or money."
NZPA