Five years ago, HelpingACT only needed to donate 80 Christmas hampers – but as Canberra families struggle with the cost of living, the food relief charity hopes to pack 225 hampers for people in need this year.

Already, demand for food assistance has doubled this year, and without help, many will have a gloomy festive season, unable to put food on the table or afford Christmas dinner.

HelpingACT’s founder and chair, Mohammed Ali, the 2022 Canberra Citizen of the Year, implores the public to be generous and aid them.

Ginninderry has donated $3,000, but HelpingACT needs to raise another $4,000 by 6 December.

“This is the time for all Canberra to come together,” Mr Ali said. “This is not only to save the dignity and respect for all living in Canberra under stress. We are an affluent city, and we have to maintain that beauty of the city as much as possible. I’m sure that we can do it.”

HelpingACT will donate the hampers to homeless people via the Early Morning Centre; to refugees and asylum seeker families through Companion House; to culturally diverse families in need through Uniting Church at Kippax; through vulnerable families on HelpingACT’s own list; and to other struggling families.

The charity will pack the hampers at the Link – Ginninderry Community & Information Centre on Saturday 9 December.

COVID-19 was a turning point in the lives of many families who were doing okay, Mr Ali said. Before the pandemic, they were not affluent, but could make ends meet. However, the cost of goods and bank interest rates increased. Now, many organisations and street organisations find that they are helping more families than they had expected or planned for earlier in the year.

Mr Ali believes the federal government must reassess welfare payments, to raise them above the poverty line. He also urges the government to help struggling families at this time.

“Because after spending whatever they have on this Christmas season, they might find themselves in a completely dark corner in terms of how to run the show day by day,” he said.

The public can help by donating through HelpingACT’s website: www.helpingact.org/donate. Organisations can also bring long-life food to HelpingACT’s Food Bank at the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, 180 London Circuit, Civic, on Saturday morning. Contact Mr Ali on 0404 947 260 for more information.