In amongst the twinkling lights and sweet voices of the children's choir as the Christmas Giving Tree at Parliament House was launched, Foodbank NSW and ACT chief executive officer John Robertson had a sobering message.
Food was becoming a luxury item for many working families as the cost-of-living crisis continued and Christmas was starting to bear down on them.
"Right now, we hear constantly talk around the cost-of-living crisis and at Foodbank, we are seeing it first-hand with our charities," Mr Robertson said.
"We're now seeing for the first time ... double-income families who are going to work, who are paying rent or paying mortgage who can no longer afford to put food on the table every day for themselves and their children.
"I've met some of these families. They're families who, mum and dad will come home from work, they'll put food on the table for their children and they'll tell their kids that they had a big lunch today so that's why they're not eating so there's no guilt on the part of the children when it comes to actually them sitting down and having a meal without mum and dad eating.
"The sad reality is that one in six households are now unable to eat three meals a day and many of those are people who set an alarm and get up and go to work every day.
"Rents are going up, energy prices, all those things are putting pressure on family budgets and food has now become for many families a discretionary item in their budget.
"So they make choices about keeping the lights on, paying the rent, putting fuel in the car so they can get to work and food just becomes one of those items they have to cut back on."
Foodbank, the nation's leading food relief organisation, is one of two charities that will receive money raised by the Giving Tree this year.
The other is Community First Development which works with First Nations communities on self-determination led projects around Australia.
Community First Development general manager Sharon Babyack said its grassroots approach had seen projects completed such as establishing housing, sporting facilities and telecommunications at communities in Western Australia, creating a bushfoods e-commerce store for a community in the Northern Territory and helping to keep language and culture alive in other communities.
"Self-determination means in practice is that we work only at the invitation of communities and communities chose their priority activities that they want us to support," she said.
"We work alongside communities owning and leading each project. It's a really simple concept, but it's quite profound."
The six-metre tall Christmas Giving Tree was launched on Wednesday by president of the Senate Sue Lines and House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick, along with Canberra Grammar School students Tivon Bandara (year five) and Emily Laverty (year six).
The Canberra Grammar School choir also sang carols at the event.
Every year Parliament House helps raise money through the Christmas Giving Tree program for two charities who do important work for our community.
Mr Dick said since 2013, the Giving Tree had raised about $30,000 for 21 charities.
You will be able to donate to the charities using QR codes next to the giving tree in the Marble Foyer.
"Christmas is very special to me, because it is such a beautiful time of the year and we are so blessed to be able to be here in the nation's capital but also to be with charities who do so much work, not just at Christmas time, but right throughout the year," Mr Dick said.
Mr Roberston said while Foodbank received food donations, it had to pay for more 30 per cent of the food it distributed, for which it had to fundraise.
"To be able to make sure food is available so that the charities we work with know that when they log on to our ordering system, that food will be available to be provided to their communities," he said.
"Right now is a really challenging time for more and more people and Christmas is obviously is obviously a time where that challenge becomes more apparent."
