Charity food parcels are in huge demand this Christmas, with city missions in our major centres inundated with requests for help.
Yesterday, members of the Wellington Phoenix lent a hand to help deliver a bit of Christmas cheers in the capital.
It's the busiest time of the year for Wellington's City Mission, with almost 1500 food parcels packs, and almost 2000 presents wrapped.
They're all ready to be delivered to the capital's most vulnerable.
"It's actually buzzy and it's fun and yeah, you just feel it gives you great hope actually," Wellington City Mission's Michelle Branney says.
Today, Andrew Durante and Michael McGlinchey from the Phoenix football club got to play Santa.
Among those who were handed over food and presents were Karl and his two boys, who live on a benefit.
"You've seen yourself, it's awesome," Karl says.
"Yeah, a lot of things you know we weren't going to have for Christmas we are now, you know, it's awesome."
And Michael McGlinchey of the Phoenix enjoyed the giving process just as much.
"It was awesome just to turn up to hand over a big parcel to a family that are obviously in need and that's obviously what Christmas is all about, it's about giving and it's nice to do that," he said.
The city mission in Christchurch has never had so much demand, giving almost 5000 food parcels so far.
While in Auckland, hundreds of people are queuing outside the mission every day.
Some are even sleeping on the pavement overnight to get in first.
"If you're prepared to queue for a $65 food parcel overnight, or for many many hours, it gives you a really good indication that the people we're responding to here are genuinely in desperate need," Auckland City Missions Helen Robinson says.
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