A Central Auckland foodbank is calling out for help, left overwhelmed as the number of families in need rises by nearly a third at Alert Level 4 compared to last year.
Run by Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN), the foodbank says it's been hit by "unprecedented demand" as the number of households seeking support soars, particularly from school communities.
"The problem here is there just isn't enough food to go around," Overton told 1 NEWS.
"A local community radio station was advertising our foodbank to its listeners but we had to ask them to stop as we simply don't have enough food available."
The Grafton-based foodbank is typically reliant on referrals of those in need from DHBs, school social workers, support agencies and it's own staff but also caters for people looking for help that walk in off the street.
However, an overwhelming number of referrals has left their shelves largely stripped bare according to PSN Community Relationship Manager Anne Overton.
"Many families were caught short by the sudden move into lockdown and had no time to prepare."
Those seeking help tend to be in "low-paying contract jobs" that aren't able to work at all at high Alert Levels.
"When you live week to week it creates financial pressures that for some families are just too much."
The foodbank's small team have been run ragged, delivering boxes of fresh food and non-perishable items to families and individuals contactless in lockdown.
However, they've been struggling to keep up with the soaring demand as Alert Level 4 restrictions hamper efforts to collect donations from the public.
Their traditional food drive that allows the community to drop off goods can't be done safely during outbreaks, says Overton.
It's prompted the foodbank to instead ask for financial donations, allowing the organisation to buy in bulk from supermarkets safely while adhering to lockdown rules.
"The more financial donations we receive, the more food we can buy and the more families we can help during these tough times," she said.
She says they're also open to food manufacturers wanting to donate through to them directly, with the food they buy from supermarkets supplemented by fresh produce donations from suppliers KiwiHarvest and Wilcox.
Where to donate
People can donate to help the foodbank cater to other Kiwis in need by clicking here .
Other businesses and food suppliers wanting to help out are asked to get in touch directly with the foodbank here .
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