Some charities have not been able to secure enough Christmas hampers for their clients, with the demand for help this year already outstripping supply.
The hampers are purchased from Foodbank NSW and ACT, which takes surplus food from manufacturers and retailers and makes it available to charity partners to distribute locally.
Southlakes Incorporated usually buys hundreds of hampers to distribute to those in need in its southern Lake Macquarie community, but it has had its order for this year cancelled.
Chief executive Christine Mastello said she was working out how she would meet the demand.
"I've got to now go and find 800 times everything that we're going to put in hampers for these families doing it really tough," Ms Mastello said.
"We do have a certain amount of money to purchase the food so we're not going cap in hand, but it's just being able to source it."
Cardiff-based charity Survivors R Us, which campaigns against domestic violence and other causes, managed to secure 400 hampers but needed about 500 more.
Founder Ann-Maria Martin said she hoped the community would respond with donations.
She said demand had tripled in the past few years.
"What we've found is people are paying their mortgages and going without food," Ms Martin said.
"We've had some pretty rough years with the pandemic and everything else, but this year I think is going to be the toughest year we've had."
Widespread shortage
Foodbank NSW and ACT said it had "real challenges" supplying its 1,000 charity partners and schools.
Chief executive John Robertson said manufacturers and retailers were getting better at reducing waste, meaning his organisation was having to buy more food than before.
Mr Robertson said fresh produce and sources of protein were particularly hard to secure when the pressures of natural disasters were factored in.
He said the fact that demand for Christmas hampers had been greater than expected was extremely disappointing, especially considering it increased its production from the usual 20,000 packages to 30,000 for this year.
"It's clearly not enough and we're going to have to look at what we can do better next year, but we're just living in very challenging times," he said.
"We're looking and thinking outside the circle as to how we can get more food available."
Ms Martin said Christmas hampers made a huge difference to families in her region.
"When you give them that box of food and toys for the children you see tears on people's faces, they're just so overwhelmed," she said.
"It breaks your heart but it's beautiful to watch knowing they've got something this Christmas."
