'$30 left for the week': The families relying on charity for Xmas cheer

Inside the Joy Store, the shelves are bright, full of Lego sets, books, baby toys and beauty kits. But the whānau walking through the aisles carry stories far heavier than the trolleys they push.

This Christmas, 1News reporter Aziz Al Sa'afin met five families relying on the Kindness Collective to get through a year many say has been the hardest yet.

For Monique, this Christmas marks a turning point she didn’t think would come. As she walked in for the first time, she was instantly overwhelmed.

"This is the first Christmas we’ve had for a long time with presents wrapped under the tree," she said, tearing up as she chose gifts for her three children.

She works full-time and still struggles to cover basic bills, normally putting "food and bills first", saving Christmas until last – if at all.

"Life is really hard," she said. "We can only afford what we can for the bills that you pay."

But this year is different because for the first time in a long time, her family will be able to celebrate the festive season.

"My children won’t have to wait 'til Boxing Day sales. They get to open their presents beforehand… not wait."

For one mum, Christmas was something she had quietly accepted might not happen at all this year. She arrived at the Joy Store with her young child resting on her shoulders.

She has been holding the household together while her partner was incarcerated, doing everything she could to stretch a budget that simply doesn’t stretch far enough.

"Bills are always first," she said. "After that we’re left with $30."

After pausing to collect herself, she said, “Once all the bills are paid… I’ve got like $30 left for the week – $30 for all of us."

Most nights, she said, she cries herself to sleep worrying about how to get through the next day.

"Our strength comes from our children," she said.

And when her partner arrived to join her, she smiled for the first time.

"And yeah… we can only go up from here."

Another mother walked through the store pushing a trolley piled with gifts – not because she wanted to spoil her children, but because for the first time in months, she finally could.

She has seven children aged 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 13. After paying rent, her weekly budget is brutally tight.

"I only get like $200 a week on my benefit after the rent is paid," she said. "I probably wouldn’t have been able to get presents, you know."

She wasn’t looking for much – just one present each.

But as she picked up dolls, toy trucks and a puzzle for the youngest, her voice wavered.

"It makes me feel… blessed."

Gala had been trying to stay upbeat for her children, but admitted she had no idea how she was going to get through Christmas.

"I couldn’t afford presents," she said. “I was like, 'What am I going to do?'"

She is still searching for work – "anything really: retail, babysitting" – but the rising cost of living has swallowed every spare dollar.

"The prices up here are so bad," she said, shaking her head. "I’m still looking for a job."

Her kids had asked for Lego and Beyblades – gifts she couldn’t provide on her own.

But as she filled her trolley, her relief was obvious.

"Thank you," she said, smiling through tears.

For one young family 1News spoke to, the Joy Store meant something incredibly simple – the chance for all their children to wake up to a gift on Christmas morning.

"This is for four kids," the dad said, holding up a box. "My youngest is actually six months old."

Money has been tight, and they weren’t sure how they were going to make the season work.

"It’s good to see that everyone actually gets a present," he said, glancing down at the toys their children had helped choose.

His partner added quietly, "They’re going to be happy… we’re happy and grateful."

Demand at the Joy Store has surged this year and the need reflects national trends. In the 12 months to October 2025, the Ministry of Social Development granted 1,301,076 Special Needs Grants for food, totalling $129,558,098.

In the 12 months to October 2024, MSD granted 1,272,726 food grants totalling $130,280,192.

Inland Revenue says 53,380 people withdrew from KiwiSaver hardship – a total of $470.7 million.

The Kindness Collective said it alone fed around 80,000 people this year, despite receiving no government funding.

"Families that were really struggling during the pandemic have not bounced back," founder Sarah Page told 1News.

"Wages aren’t rising, inflation and costs of living are making it really tough for people to make ends meet."

She says she's angry seeing so many Kiwis in need.

"These are hardworking families. The whole narrative of how we treat people doing it tough in this country… it needs to change.

"They’re working two, three jobs… and through no fault of their own they’re in this situation where they can’t feed their children. It doesn’t make sense."

Inside, dozens of volunteers unpack boxes, restock shelves and guide families through the aisles.

Kindness Collective team member Tiana Edmonds said the entire operation was built on compassion and privacy.

"We start really early. We sort through toys, we restock shelves, we make sure everything is ready before families arrive."

More than anything, she said, the goal is dignity: "There is no shame here. People can shop, choose what they want, and feel like they’re part of Christmas… like everyone else."

Minister for Social Development Louise Upston said the Government recognises many families have been finding things tough during a prolonged cost-of-living challenge.

Upston pointed to the $15 million announced in Budget 2025 to support community food providers while the economy recovers, alongside other support including food grants. She said she was unable to comment on further funding decisions before Budget 2026.

MSD said foodbanks did not receive government funding before the Covid-19 pandemic and that since 2020, through its Food Secure Communities programme, it has invested more than $200 million in food distribution infrastructure and community food provision. MSD said the programme is time-limited and current funding is due to end in June 2026, after the Government reprioritised $15 million in Budget 2025 to extend it.

It confirmed the Kindness Collective was not directly funded through the programme, but receives support through Food Secure Communities-funded partners including the New Zealand Food Network. New Zealand Food Network data shows that between January and June 2025, Kindness Collective received an equivalent of 60,220 meals, valued at around $269,000.