Tauranga Community Foodbank is preparing for record demand this summer with financial resources thin, lunches in school stopped, and people leaving their jobs because of the vaccine mandate.
It comes as the Bay of Plenty Times launches its six-week annual Christmas Appeal for the foodbank.
More than 16,000 people have needed help from the organisation this year and a record amount of food has been given to those in need.
This included 8897 children, which worked out to about 200,000 meals.
Last year's Christmas foodbank appeal raised a record $190,990 - including a last-minute $30,000 donation from Tauranga company Synergy Technologies, on top of massive generosity from the community and local businesses.
A total of $132,000 in cash and 29,495 food items worth $58,990 was raised by the appeal's final day.
Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said "it absolutely did the trick".
"We used to get to May or June, but [the 2020 appeal] did the trick for the year."
This appeal was "absolutely vital", with Goodwin predicting record demand this summer.
"People don't have any resources left and that is due to Covid, and the housing crisis is a crisis on a crisis."
On top of this, many families had only been getting through because of the food in schools programme, and demand spiked whenever their kids were at home for a long period of time, she said.
"Every school holidays always gets a bit harder for families."
With the looming mandate, Goodwin said more calls for their help "won't be far away".
"If someone's in food hardship, that's exactly what we're here for."
Goodwin said the foodbank helped everyone from Pahoia to Pāpāmoa East.
Pāpāmoa demand had grown "so much" and the foodbank was often delivering the food as people could not make it due to the distance, she said.
Much of the need was linked to accommodation costs, she said.
For the first time, Tauranga reached a median house price of $1,050,000 according to REINZ's October report.
The median rent in Tauranga was $595 in September, up from $550 last year and $510 the year before, according to Trade Me property figures.
In the Western Bay, the median rent was $565, up from $490 last year and $480 the year before.
In the past five years, the number of people on the housing register in Tauranga and the Western Bay skyrocketed by 338 per cent.
The latest number of people on the housing register - those waiting for state housing - was 855 in June.
There were 14,817 people in Tauranga and the Western Bay receiving the accommodation supplement in the latest September figures released by the Ministry of Social Development.
The supplement is for people who aren't in emergency or public housing and need help paying their rent or mortgage.
There were also 6644 people getting the Temporary Additional Supplement, which is a weekly payment to help cover essential living costs that cannot otherwise be met.
The price of petrol had also contributed to the struggles hitting record highs last month.
The national average for 91 octane petrol sat at $2.39 a month ago, with many stations around the country charging more than $2.50 per litre, according to fuel price tracking app Gaspy.
While more people needed food last year - which Goodwin put down to stranded foreign nationals and a longer lockdown - more food was given out this year.
"This lockdown was instant, it was that day that the demand surged."
And just as quickly, the demand dropped when the lockdown ended.
"It was purely linked to lack of income, lack of security and not having any financial backup and reserves left," which she said people emptied in last year's lockdown.
"Because of support, like the Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal, we've invested more in food.
"We've improved what we're giving as well, which is the whole point of donations."
Goodwin said the foodbank was now focusing on how many days' worth of food it gave.
A standard food package is designed to provide enough food to create meals for at least four days.
It also provided pantry packs to help rebuild staples and top-up parcels designed to provide food for a week.
She said the supply of treat foods got "lean" this year, which the community responded to through social media callouts for certain goodies.
"It really makes a difference."
Goodwin said Christmas was a great time to start thinking about helping others.
"Any little amount makes a difference, it doesn't have to be a grand gesture."
She said the past 18 months had shown the importance of food, and how much having that security could help someone.
Bay of Plenty Times editor Scott Inglis said the appeal was vital to support those people who needed help.
''It's awful to think there are people who cannot afford to put food on their table. It's also heartbreaking there will be children going without.
''That's why this appeal is so important. Given everything that is going on, helping people in this way feels good and makes a real difference.''
This summer will be critical to discover if the sharks have started returning.