'There's no point pretending this isn't our country because it is' - John Campbell was moved by a child who spent the night sleeping outside a food bank.
Video / TVNZ
The Hits' drive host Anika Moa has opened up on the "hard times" she faced during her childhood when she had to visit food banks with her father.
Filling in for the breakfast team, Stace, Mike and Anika spoke about how Christmas is a "tough time of year" for families that can't afford food, which was put in the spotlight by John Campbell.
In an emotional report on the Auckland City Mission's food bank at Eden Park, the broadcaster highlighted how many New Zealanders are struggling to make ends meet this season.
John Campbell was visibly emotional reporting from Eden Park. Photo / TVNZ
"This is our country. And there's no point pretending this isn't our country because it is," he said sitting next to a sleeping girl.
"This is the reality, for some of us, of life in New Zealand at the moment."
Moa said Campbell's story brought a tear to her eye as it reminded her of the times she had to go to food banks when she visited her dad in Auckland.
"I grew up in Christchurch with my mum, we were poor but we were always fed with three meals a day," she said.
"But every time I flew up to Auckland to see my dad, who has now passed, we used to struggle because my Dad was a gypsy musician and we used to travel around a lot.
"We used to go to food banks ourselves just to make it through the week and I used to feel so embarrassed.
"Me and my brother Carlos would just be sitting in the car and [my dad] would be like 'come in, it's your aunty' as all our whānau were actually giving out the food bags.
"We needed to eat so we would go to food banks, it was just the way it was."
Moa said seeing all the people who could not afford food now "drives her crazy".
Co-host Mike Puru added that Kiwis were facing this issue because of excessive rent and the cost of living going up.
"A lot of families just get by week by week by week and all of a sudden Christmas comes along and they say 'we don't have $30 for a ham'," he said.
The other co-host, Stacey Morrison, said that others shouldn't worry about the stigma behind having to visit food banks and should look to people like Moa who have grown up to become successful.
The Hits' drive host Anika Moa has opened up on the "hard times" she faced during her childhood when she had to visit food banks with her father. Photos / Facebook, Michael Craig
"Let's not ever think that people are in that situation forever. Sometimes it's just an emergency."
Moa ended the conversation saying that people don't choose to live that way.
She also encouraged other Kiwis to get in the Christmas spirit and help those in need by donating or volunteering their time.
Auckland City Mission this year has four distribution centres at Papakura Marae, Ngā Whare Waatea Marae, VisionWest, and Eden Park. The Mission aims to distribute 200 family care packages per day to families in need, for eight days ahead of Christmas.
