The extremes of human kindness, human struggles, happiness and sadness have been there in spades as volunteers start distributing thousands of Christmas gift packs and supplies for the needy in Hawke's Bay.
At the Greenmeadows Community Hall, Napier Christmas Cheer co-ordinator Hellene Overend has started co-ordinating 34 agencies in a five-day exercise picking up the gift packs and groceries for distribution to the families and individuals they've been helping throughout the year.
It's no different for Hastings co-ordinator Jo Reyngoud, who is overseeing a distribution centre at Flaxmere Baptist Church.
Notable is the increasing size of some households, and the number of those hunkering down in motel units has been particularly evident since the removal of much of the twin-cities' state housing stock in the early stages of the last 10 years.
In several cases the agencies are dealing with multiple families in single households – there's one in Napier with 18, comprising children and adults, and in Hastings several with 10-14.
