Herald Focus: Auckland mum's financial struggle after having baby

This week, the Herald and Herald Focus are profiling struggling families who have lined up for parcels or food at Auckland's City Mission.

Mother-of-three Trish Kaiawe suddenly needed City Mission's help after quitting her job to have a baby a year ago.

"It's the first year that I have been financially hard up because I was working all the way until I had [her son, Samuel Morrison].

"Then I took a year off to look after him and being on the benefit it's hard to make ends meet, so I thought stop being proud and go and get the help that you need because it will really help me and the kids because I've got two other kids ... I want to try and be the best mum that I can."

However, it took a bit of coercing by friends to get her to the City Mission.

Despite setting her alarm for 3.30am and arriving at the mission soon afterwards, she wasn't the first in line.

"We got in the car and would hope that we'd make it in time and got here and the line was already long and it got even longer."

Getting food from the mission took a bit of the stress out of an already stressful time of year, she said.

Auckland City Mission chief executive, Chris Farrelly, is expecting more families at their door as Christmas Day looms.

Hundreds of people lined up for food every day.

The Mission is still taking donations and encourage those who can donate to do so.