{"id":197556,"date":"2025-12-23T05:16:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T05:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/197556\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T05:16:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T05:16:13","slug":"the-families-relying-on-charity-for-xmas-cheer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/197556\/","title":{"rendered":"The families relying on charity for Xmas cheer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inside the Joy Store, the shelves are bright, full of Lego sets, books, baby toys and beauty kits. But the wh\u0101nau walking through the aisles carry stories far heavier than the trolleys they push.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

‘The first Christmas we’ve had with presents under the tree’<\/p>\n

For Monique, this Christmas marks a turning point she didn\u2019t think would come. As she walked in for the first time, she was instantly overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

“This is the first Christmas we\u2019ve had for a long time with presents wrapped under the tree,” she said, tearing up as she chose gifts for her three children.<\/p>\n

She works full-time and still struggles to cover basic bills, normally putting “food and bills first”, saving Christmas until last \u2013 if at all.<\/p>\n

“Life is really hard,” she said. “We can only afford what we can for the bills that you pay.” <\/p>\n

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

“My children won\u2019t have to wait ’til Boxing Day sales. They get to open their presents beforehand\u2026 not wait.”<\/p>\n

‘Once all the bills are paid\u2026 I\u2019ve got $30 left for the week’<\/p>\n

\"One<\/p>\n

One woman had been holding the household together while her partner was incarcerated. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

She has been holding the household together while her partner was incarcerated, doing everything she could to stretch a budget that simply doesn\u2019t stretch far enough.<\/p>\n

“Bills are always first,” she said. “After that we\u2019re left with $30.”<\/p>\n

After pausing to collect herself, she said, \u201cOnce all the bills are paid\u2026 I\u2019ve got like $30 left for the week \u2013 $30 for all of us.”<\/p>\n

Most nights, she said, she cries herself to sleep worrying about how to get through the next day.<\/p>\n

“Our strength comes from our children,” she said.<\/p>\n

And when her partner arrived to join her, she smiled for the first time.<\/p>\n

“And yeah\u2026 we can only go up from here.”<\/p>\n

‘I only get $200 a week after rent’<\/p>\n

\"Seven<\/p>\n

Seven children means the budget for this mother was brutally tight. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

Another mother walked through the store pushing a trolley piled with gifts \u2013 not because she wanted to spoil her children, but because for the first time in months, she finally could.<\/p>\n

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

“I only get like $200 a week on my benefit after the rent is paid,” she said. “I probably wouldn\u2019t have been able to get presents, you know.”<\/p>\n

She wasn\u2019t looking for much \u2013 just one present each.<\/p>\n

But as she picked up dolls, toy trucks and a puzzle for the youngest, her voice wavered.<\/p>\n

“It makes me feel\u2026 blessed.”<\/p>\n

‘I didn’t know what I was going to do’<\/p>\n

\"Gale<\/p>\n

Gale had been trying to stay upbeat but admitted she had no idea how she was going to get through the Christmas period. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

Gala had been trying to stay upbeat for her children, but admitted she had no idea how she was going to get through Christmas.<\/p>\n

“I couldn\u2019t afford presents,” she said. \u201cI was like, ‘What am I going to do?'”<\/p>\n

She is still searching for work \u2013 “anything really: retail, babysitting” \u2013 but the rising cost of living has swallowed every spare dollar.<\/p>\n

“The prices up here are so bad,” she said, shaking her head. “I\u2019m still looking for a job.”<\/p>\n

Her kids had asked for Lego and Beyblades \u2013 gifts she couldn\u2019t provide on her own.<\/p>\n

But as she filled her trolley, her relief was obvious.<\/p>\n

“Thank you,” she said, smiling through tears.<\/p>\n

‘Happy and grateful’<\/p>\n

\""They’re<\/p>\n

“They\u2019re going to be happy\u2026 we\u2019re happy and grateful.” (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

For one young family 1News spoke to, the Joy Store meant something incredibly simple \u2013 the chance for all their children to wake up to a gift on Christmas morning.<\/p>\n

“This is for four kids,” the dad said, holding up a box. “My youngest is actually six months old.”<\/p>\n

Money has been tight, and they weren\u2019t sure how they were going to make the season work.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s good to see that everyone actually gets a present,” he said, glancing down at the toys their children had helped choose.<\/p>\n

His partner added quietly, “They\u2019re going to be happy\u2026 we\u2019re happy and grateful.”<\/p>\n

The wider picture of New Zealand’s hardship<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

In the 12 months to October 2024, MSD granted 1,272,726 food grants totalling $130,280,192. <\/p>\n

Inland Revenue says 53,380 people withdrew from KiwiSaver hardship \u2013 a total of $470.7 million.<\/p>\n

The Kindness Collective said it alone fed around 80,000 people this year, despite receiving no government funding.<\/p>\n

“Families that were really struggling during the pandemic have not bounced back,” founder Sarah Page told 1News.<\/p>\n

“Wages aren\u2019t rising, inflation and costs of living are making it really tough for people to make ends meet.”<\/p>\n

She says she’s angry seeing so many Kiwis in need. <\/p>\n

“These are hardworking families. The whole narrative of how we treat people doing it tough in this country\u2026 it needs to change.<\/p>\n

“They\u2019re working two, three jobs\u2026 and through no fault of their own they\u2019re in this situation where they can\u2019t feed their children. It doesn\u2019t make sense.”<\/p>\n

‘There is no shame here’ \u2013 the volunteers who make it possible<\/p>\n

\"Kindness<\/p>\n

Kindness Collective team member Tiana Edmonds. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n

Inside, dozens of volunteers unpack boxes, restock shelves and guide families through the aisles.<\/p>\n

Kindness Collective team member Tiana Edmonds said the entire operation was built on compassion and privacy.<\/p>\n

“We start really early. We sort through toys, we restock shelves, we make sure everything is ready before families arrive.”<\/p>\n

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\u2019re part of Christmas\u2026 like everyone else.”<\/p>\n

Funding and the Government response<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Inside the Joy Store, the shelves are bright, full of Lego sets, books, baby toys and beauty kits.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":197557,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5901,18399,219,42,43,550,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-197556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-1news-recommends","tag-christmas","tag-economy","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-social-issues","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=197556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}