A Belfast community group has set up a "Christmas wish tree" to try and ensure no child is left without in the city this Christmas.
Louise McKee set up "Help is at hand for those in need NI" last year and their Facebook group now has 10,000 followers.
"There are so many people struggling and going without at the minute, it's overwhelming," she told Belfast Live.
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"We've got a Christmas wish tree up at the minute so kids can get presents and we also do a saving tub to get families a meal on Christmas Day.
"We do top-ups for gas and electricity and we do food parcels every week - we get clothes, furniture, everything donated to us and then we give them out to families in need.
"The demand for it is so high at the minute but so many families feel humiliated at having to reach out for help.
"We keep it all anonymous for that reason, so that people can come to us and not worry about that."
Louise runs the group along with none other women and said they devote all the time they have to trying to make sure help reaches those most in need.
"Not one of us take a penny for anything, we just deliver it all back out again," she said.
"A girl is allowing us to use her house at the minute, which is a godsend, as we had been working out of two garages and they were freezing.
"We're seeing more and more working families that are coming to us now, they just can't stretch their money any further than what they've been doing.
"It's upsetting, I wear my heart on my sleeve and what we're seeing at the minute is horrible.
"We do have people helping us, donating clothes, furniture and everything else but we're outweighed by the demand to be honest."
Louise said she found it hard to understand why there are not more interventions being made to help people.
"You don't realise there are people out there who are sitting with nothing, not a bit of food in the house," she said.
"I'm not politically minded as I don't know what I'm talking about, but I listened briefly to the budget during the week.
"They said they were making difficult decisions, but those difficult decisions aren't for them, it's for the people who have to make a choice of buying a couple of things for dinner or do they put money into their electric or gas.
"It feels like people just fail to matter."
Louise said some of the messages of the people who have contacted the group reveal the extent to which people are suffering.
"I'm absolutely embarrassed to ask for help, I've never struggled so much in my life," said one person.
"I've literally £4.71 in my electric to do me and don't have anything in my gas as I've already used my emergency credit on it.
"I'm cut to the bone asking for help as it's so embarrassing."
Another person revealed the guilt they felt despite finding themselves in the most unenviable of situations.
"Honestly I don't know, I just feel everything has overwhelmed me," they wrote.
"The fact I can't provide suitable clothes for the kids or heat and struggling to put food on the table.
"Everything has just got on top of me and I don't know where to turn for help."
Louise said they would continue to do everything in their power to help those who contacted them.
"Sometimes it can be as simple as giving someone some bread and basic things to get them through to when they can get money, and sometimes it's just even helping people with loneliness, letting them know they're not alone," she said.
"We will help anybody in the Greater Belfast area but if it's any further, we just can't do it because it's just ourselves doing all the deliveries and that."
The community group is raising funds to try and help families, especially in the runup to Christmas and have set up a fundraising page here.
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