The Covid-19 lockdown has put increasing pressure on already struggling families as Alert Level 4 restrictions remain in place for Auckland and Northland.
With many unable to work and unable to hunt and gather food, the financial strain means less food on the table.
One Taemaro whānau has been living in a shed since the pandemic began.
“There’s no power. We've got to go into the bush to collect our water. Sometimes we go into the public toilets,” Thomas Martin told 1 NEWS.
Unable to cope with the conditions, some of their children have moved away.
“My children, they find it very hard. My daughter's actually gone and stayed with one of her friends in Kaitaia because she doesn't want to live this way,” he said.
While the family have secured temporary accommodation for the remainder of the lockdown, Level 4 restrictions have meant putting food on the table has been tough.
“When we can't go out freely and get our own fish and that, that's really hard because that's two of our main assets for food that we can't get to,” Lorraine Martin said.
“Other families have got food in their gardens - they go out and they share it out to all the families but because of this lockdown, we can't get those sort of resources," Thomas added.
The Martin family are one of 15 receiving help from community support worker Sandra Heihei with donations from the public.
“We went and did a big shop, we pulled out things out of our cupboards,” she explained.
They also received a donation of wild pork.
The pinch is being felt right across the district, with the Open the Curtains group delivering food vouchers in Kaitaia.
“We have to make sure that we have enough in the fridge and we have something on the table for the kids every day,” one Kaitaia resident said.
School closures also mean no provided lunch - an extra meal families have to make.
The Ministry of Social Development issued more than 36,000 food grants in the first week of lockdown - about 60 per cent more than the typical week.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says more assistance is available for those who need help with food and housing.
"Please, do make use of these services. They're there to support you," Ardern said.
However, Heihei says isolated families "have a lot of pride".
“They don't want to say that they're in need,” she said.
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