Empty offices and closed shops are a common sight on Christmas Day. But while the holiday period is slow for some workplaces, others are busier than ever.
Lifeline Aotearoa offers free and confidential mental health support for those who need it. More than 60 employees and 178 volunteers man the phones in Auckland, Waikato and Christchurch, receiving about 18,000 calls a month and operating 24/7, 365 days a year.
Christmas time is no exception. In fact, calls increase by almost 1000 - a 10-15 percent increase - from November to December, as feelings of loneliness and isolation are heightened by the holiday cheer. The Christmas period also sees a spike in the number of high-risk calls.
And every year, volunteers give up their Christmas Days to help those who need it.
Reem Ibrahim has been a special needs teacher for two years and a Lifeline volunteer for two months. She's passionate about helping others, and this year will spend her Christmas morning doing just that.
"I've always been the kind of person to give, that's the kind of environment that I grew up in - putting others first and caring for them and really wanting to make a difference."
Ms Ibrahim says Christmas is a stressful time for certain people who don't have simple privileges, such as getting together with the people they love. So why is she giving up her own Christmas?
"It's the least I can do.
"It's a time where it reminds [people] of the hardships they're going through, and for me to volunteer is to show them that hey, you're not alone, people are out there that really do care about you.
"To me it's a gift. At the end of the day I feel good about myself, the fact that I was able to somehow bring some sort of happiness to someone who doesn't have the privilege of getting that from anyone."
Nathan Taylor works in sales and has volunteered for Lifeline since August this year. He's "totally fine" with giving up his Christmas morning to man the phones, saying the day can get the better of some people.
"Christmas is normally a good time for most people, but it's an emotional time. Not everyone's lucky enough to have good family and friends around.
"I'd hate to wake up on Christmas morning and be by yourself and isolated."
It'll be Mr Taylor's first Christmas shift, and he's been told to expect an increased amount of calls at the higher and lower end of the scale.
"There will be people ringing up just to thank us for the service we've provided this year, or thanking us if we have received calls from them.
"[But] from what I've been told there will be a lot of people that are more emotional, especially the ones that are more isolated."
Mr Taylor says Lifeline is a "great service" that allows people who don't have support networks to talk to someone about what's going on in their lives.
Ms Ibrahim describes the role as 'challenging', with people from all kinds of backgrounds calling about a wide range of issues.
"People are out there who don't feel comfortable talking about what they're going through in life.
"There's something awesome about talking to someone they have no relation to. They can talk to them and know they're not being judged about what they're going through."
Early this month charitable trust Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN ) committed 18 months of operational support to Lifeline.
The funding was a beacon of hope after Government funding cuts threatened the service's existence.
If you need support this Christmas, Lifeline operates 24 hours a day on 0800 Lifeline (0800 543 354).
You can donate to the service here.
Newshub.
