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

Anthony Hill-Tamihana, who has been struggling to find a job, needs City Mission's help this year to give his sons and wife a "nice" Christmas.

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

Trisha, a mother-of-three has come to the Auckland City Mission to help ease the stress of Christmas this year.

Tristram visits the Auckland City Mission to learn about the 2016 child poverty monitor and it's shocking results. The Auckland City Mission are also handing out food and christmas gifts to those who need it. Children's commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft and Auckland City Missioner Chris Farrelly share their views on the findings.

Countdown, the Salvation Army and the NZ Dance Company are putting on a show, Trolley's. Creating awareness for the food rescue program which is helping kiwis in need, this festive season.

Annual monitor shows child poverty rates are stable but children's commissioner calls for a poverty reduction target to be set.

There's only a handful of suburbs left in all of Auckland where first home buyers can get a helping hand from the government.

Opetaia Siale won't be spending Christmas at home - he'll be cleaning Wellington's public toilets while his family forgo presents so they can afford a Christmas meal.

COMMENT: While we score high in the indices for peace and transparency, our poverty and inequality gaps have grown.

New Zealand has the fourth-highest rate of child deaths from assault in the OECD. Simon Collins visited three communities to look for the root causes of that bad child abuse record. First: Flaxmere.

NZ has the fourth-highest rate of child deaths from assault in the OECD. Simon Collins visited three communities to look for the root causes.

Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a banquet lunch be delivered to his Auckland hotel ahead of his expected departure later today.

A survey which revealed access problems to the child disability allowance has raised more questions than answers.

Child advocates call for access to be simplified

The Salvation Army is launching an urgent Christmas appeal today as demand for food parcels is expeced to soar.

COMMENT: Does the success of outsider Republican nominee Donald Trump signal the time for a political revolution in Godzone too?

Emergency housing funding marks the Government's acceptance that it must ensure every New Zealander has adequate shelter.

Are you angry about the widening gap between rich and poor? Or are you sceptical about the stats?

Art gallery owner Benji Hinch is trading free art for sanitary products so he can put together care packages for people living rough.

COMMENT: Kiwis encounter a steady stream of political messages that individuals, families and communities should "step up" and take responsibility for their problems.

COMMENT: Riding buses reminds your columnist of what he might have become had not a bit of genetic blessing come along and saved him.

COMMENT: We simply have to do better for children in NZ. Choosing not to - to count rodents because it is easier - is completely unacceptable.

Dame Tariana Turia has accused the Government of spending more money on locking people up than on combating poverty. The former Maori

Only two beggars on the streets of Hamilton are homeless, police survey shows.

Women's refuges, church agencies and other community groups will soon have to hand over their client details to the Government in

The Prime Minister has visited more than three times as many high decile schools this year, than low decile.

New Green MP Barry Coates says he has achieved change from outside politics and now he wants to achieve change from within the political system.

Auckland Council has pulled down a public art installation depicting homelessness because they thought the piece was a pile of trash.

Vegetarian cafe Revive will again donate leftover food to the Auckland City Mission.