The Wagga Family Support Service has been putting together hampers from donated food and other items to distribute to those who need it most.

The idea was the brainchild of women's domestic violence case worker Liana Pitt, who raised the idea of Tuesday night and by Friday had amassed 28 bulging hampers ready to be sent away.

Local businesses including Bunnings, Livebetter, the Uniting Church, Southcity Butchers and Riverina Fresh have all provided items, with the Duke of Kent Hotel providing refrigeration.

"The support from all the businesses in Wagga was overwhelming," Ms Pitt said.

The hampers are filled with some of the hardest items to currently come by such as non-perishables, meat, and toilet paper.

"Our elderly are struggling to find the basic necessities in our supermarkets right now with the panic buying and the unfolding coronovirus heatlh crisis," she said.

"This was about what we could do as a community to pull together and support them."

Wagga Family Support Service director Jenna Roberts said the organisation was more than happy to provide assistance to make this happen.

"Supporting Liana to do this was a no-brainer. It made absolute sense. It was such a wonderful and caring idea that we threw our support as an organisation behind it," she said.

"We said go for it but I never thought the community would support to the extent they did."

The group also reached out to Aboriginal elders through the Wagga Aboriginal Women's group, who have stepped in to help those who need the hampers the most.

President Rosie Powell said she was blown away by how many people were willing to lend a hand to support their elders.

"You'll find that in situations like this there are so many people that want to help," she said. "Just by people reaching out, this is what we were able to put together."

Among those receiving the hampers are people with mobility issues that make grocery shopping additionally challenging, as well as younger families struggling financially as the cheaper necessities disappear.

"There are some families that can't afford to pay for the $10 handwash, that's all that's left on the shelves at the moment," she said.

While panic buyers have been widely condemned Ms Powell said the success of this initiative showed how many people were willing to do the right thing.

"You'll find that in situations like this there are so many people that want to help," she said.