It is only the first of December but New Zealand's biggest Christmas charity initiative is already at work, with thousands of volunteers packing presents for people in need.
Over today and tomorrow, volunteers will put together more than 30,000 gift boxes. Each gift box contains 20 supermarket staples and a few treats, and can feed a family of six.
The LIFE Community Christmas Box initiative has been running since 2001 and this year there are around 500 organisations involved with filling and delivering the packages.
LIFE Community head of community response Rebecca So'e spoke to 1News about the growing number of people needing assistance.
"Every year sadly it incrementally gets bigger and bigger... the food prices, everything, that crisis has actually impacted right down into our community.
"And it's not necessarily people who are doing it hard, it's people that are working and still struggling to get food onto the table," she said.
Sanitarium's national marketing manager Pete Davis said 32,000 boxes of Weet-Bix have been donated for the boxes made today and on Saturday.
Organisers say the boxes cost $900,000 and are funded by sponsors and donors — but that still isn't enough.
"At the moment we are still trying to fundraise, so we're asking people to give $40 a box," So'e said.
Tomorrow the charity will have 12 packing stations to help give more boxes this festive season.
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