Winter hunger at all-time high with Wagga Uniting Church Food Mission struggling to meet needs

"Without a doubt, I'd say the demand has gone up 10 per cent in just the last three months," Mr Sheather said.

The volunteer-run food mission on Johnston Street has operated under Mr Sheather's supervision for the past two decades.

In the past two years, he says, the need has become far more dire than he has seen in all those years combined.

"So many can't make ends meed because they just don't have the cash to go around," he said.

"There would be a variety of reasons for it, but it comes down to how much people are earning and how much is left over once they've paid for everything else.

"There's just not enough to pay the bills and feed yourself sometimes."

Though winter also presents a problem for the city's hungry, Mr Sheather said the past three months have neared exhausted the mission's resources.

The team begins the morning with a shipment of up to 500 kilograms of fresh vegetables and fruit. That is depleted to zero by the end of the first half-hour.

"We've had a queue of 46 people outside when we've opened at 10am," Mr Sheather said.

"We'd be seeing up to 90 people in two hours. Fruit and veggies are our main demand, and without local support we won't be able to feed everyone."

The problem has been compounded by a downturn in donation ever since Mission Australia ceased its delivery service last year.

"We've had to manage without that, but we have managed with a lot of local getting behind it," Mr Sheather said.

The service now receives up to three pick ups a week from Coles Second Bite, and one from Aldi. Additionally, Better Country Foods supplies the mission's weekly milk needs.

Over the past 15 years, Brumbies South City has also supplied up to 76 loaves a week for the mission's school breakfasts and lunches.

"We've gotten a lot of home gardeners who bring in their veggies and fruit, we'd be struggling without them," Mr Sheather said.

"We can usually get something to everyone, but some would be going away with little to nothing.

"Definitely if there are more home gardeners out there with surplus, we'd love to hear from you."