In 20 years on the frontline of charity services, Tairyn Vergara says she has never seen anything like the current demand for help from desperate families.

"Families are really, really struggling," says the chief executive of Parks Community Network in western Sydney.

"We have a lot of people seeking no-interest loans for things like car registration and repairs, but they simply do not have the $30 a fortnight needed for repayments, so we unfortunately can't give them a loan," she said.

Research from national charity Good360 Australia shows 82 per cent of charities say demand has never been higher and 69 per cent don't have enough donated items to meet the needs of clients.

"That whole notion of the working poor, it's a real thing in this community - people are not able to pay their mo

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