24 Dec 2009

Queue for food parcels in Auckland

8:31 pm on 24 December 2009

The queue for food parcels kept growing outside the Auckland City Mission from early on Thursday morning.

The mission says in the past two weeks it has seen almost 2000 people coming through its doors, double the number for the same time last year.

It says families first started arriving for food parcels about three weeks ago.

Auckland City Missioner Diane Robertson says she has never seen such queues, with up to 30 people waiting outside the mission to get in.

Ms Robertson says demand has been driven up by people who have lost their jobs.

She says the mission is in need of ongoing financial and food support from the public.