After a year full of spending cuts and belt tightening, some of Canberra's charities are busy helping out some the ACT's least fortunate residents who are looking at a bleak Christmas.
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As an unemployed single parent with three children, Holt resident Michelle Mayer said St Vincent de Paul's help was invaluable, particularly during the holiday season.
"[Without them] I just wouldn't have the money to spend, that money would go to food. It would be a bit sad I'd say, they just make it so much easier," she said.
After a relationship breakdown, Ms Mayer moved to Canberra from NSW in 2008 with her three children, now aged 15, 14 and seven.
With the help of the charity, she obtained a certificate IV in community services.
She said every Christmas the organisation delivered two hampers - one of food and one of toys for the kids.
"They generally ask you what the kids are into and you give them a list of what they might like. They try and do their best to find something the kids will enjoy and use, which is awesome," Ms Mayer said.
"The Christmas hamper is just your usual Christmas stuff, a plum pudding, a fruit cake, sometimes you'll get a Woolworth voucher so you can go and buy a chicken ... everything you need for a basic Christmas lunch, really."
St Vincent de Paul ACT president Frank Brassil said his organisation delivered more than 1000 Christmas hampers every year while continuing to help out families struggling with bills.
"It's a busy time for us and people feel a lot of financial stress in the lead-up to Christmas," he said. "Families feel under a lot of pressure to buy things for their kids and that, obviously, sputs them under pressure.
"One of the reasons we give out Christmas hampers is to give them a bit of relief over that period."
The Smith Family ACT regional programs manager Pierina Lucchesi said it could be easy to forget the less fortunate in Canberra given the city's high standard of living.
But she said her organisation had been overwhelmed with support for its annual toy and book drive, allowing it to distribute excess toys around the ACT's needy families
"I can assure you Canberra hasn't forgotten them," Mrs Lucchesi said. "I'm sitting in the middle of stacks of boxes of the most beautiful toys and wonderful books."
