More than 2000 volunteers in 13 locations across New Zealand, including Tauranga, are expected to pack a record 35,000 Christmas Boxes for families in need this weekend and next - more Christmas Boxes than ever before.

Christmas Box began in 2001 with the simple idea of providing boxed food to neighbouring families in need at Christmas.

Twenty-three years later, Christmas Box is one of New Zealand’s largest Christmas charity initiatives, partnering with more than 400 organisations to make Christmas possible for more than 30,000 kiwi families each year, and has fed more than one million people.

Christmas Box community response manager, Rebecca So’e (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa), began volunteering to pack and deliver Christmas Boxes 12 years ago to respond to the need in her South Auckland community and her conviction that “nobody should be hungry on Christmas Day”.

She said there were always families in hardship that miss receiving a Christmas Box, which is why they are hoping to reach their goal of gifting 35,000 Christmas Boxes and reaching “more families than ever before in 2024”.

Rebecca So'e packs Christmas Boxes.

“With the cost of living as it is, we know of so many families who are looking at a Christmas of hardship and a real lack of hope.

“Many are solo-parents and households with disabilities, who are at the end of themselves trying to juggle how to buy presents and put food on the table, and there’s nothing worse as a kid than that feeling of missing out at Christmas.

“These are families who have had wave-after-wave of mishaps sink them into hardship, but it just takes one little gesture from someone to infuse hope into their situation and remind them someone sees them and cares.”

In Auckland, Christmas Boxes will be packed by almost 1500 volunteers on Friday, November 29, and Saturday, November 30.

More than 1000 additional volunteers will help pack boxes in Christchurch, Rotorua, Kaikohe, Whangārei, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Kapiti, Porirua, Tawa, Dunedin and Invercargill across this weekend and next.

High profile New Zealanders taking part include former All Blacks Pita Alatini, Charles Riechelmann and Eroni Clark.

Corporates and community organisations taking part include Sanitarium, Auckland Airport, Mercury Energy, NZ Police, Elevate Christian Disability Trust, Starship Hospital, Vision West and Women’s Refuge.

So’e said each Christmas Box was packed with ingredients to create “shared meals and memories”.

“I just love seeing the look on families’ faces when they receive a Christmas Box. They’re honestly in a state of shock that somebody thought of them and cares enough about them to do that.

“There’s a lot of emotion and tears, especially among the mums who are just at their wits end, and their kids run around with excitement and can’t wait to rip into it. It lifts their spirits because it’s just so unexpected.”

Gayleen Vashi, who has four children with her husband Angam, including a special needs son Samuel, 9, who has Down syndrome, received a Christmas Box last year.

She said it was a “powerful reminder of love and community”.

“I want to say a heartfelt thank you to those who donate a Christmas Box to my family and families like mine. It made our Christmas special, especially for our children, and made it easier to meet costs over the Christmas season.”

Volunteers packing Christmas Boxes in Auckland in 2023.

So’e said she never ceases to be amazed at how generous Kiwis are at Christmas.

“I’ve experienced it first-hand and I’ve seen that given an opportunity Kiwis don’t hesitate to help others in need at Christmas, and that spirit of charity and generosity is a beautiful thing.

“Growing up, there was always space at our Christmas table for people in need in our community. A lot of parents and grandparents out there would have grown up the same, and though they may not be able to invite someone to their table, they might choose to donate a Christmas Box to bring hope to someone’s Christmas.”

Each $40 donation provides one Christmas Box filled with more than $60 worth of food, feeding a family of four to six.

To gift a Christmas Box to a family in need, visit Christmasbox.co.nz