It was an experience Trish Wilson (not her real name) and her six-year-old daughter Sarah never want to repeat: sleeping in the cold under a Wellington railway bridge.
"It was scary, it was cold and horrible," says Wilson. "But we had nowhere to go."
While help soon came from the Salvation Army who placed them in an emergency house, their story has come to light as the Salvation Army launches its Christmas Appeal for donations to help 17,000 families and people like Wilson who struggle to get by.
Her story began when Wilson went to Wellington to get away from a tough domestic predicament she was experiencing in her hometown. Together with an aunt and her nine-year-old son who were also moving to Wellington, the four had arranged a house to stay in until they found something permanent. But at the last minute it fell through - and they faced their first night in Wellington with nowhere to sleep.
"We didn't know the area, I'd never been there before and we drove around and around looking for a place to stay. We stopped at the only motel we saw but at $130 we couldn't afford it."
After driving over the bridge a couple of times Wilson says they realised they could sleep there: "We had no other options. It was scary being in the dark and in a strange place, the kids were upset and I couldn't wait until the morning came.
"I tried to turn it into a positive experience. I told the kids it was really exciting waiting for the trains to come, that sort of thing, but really it was horrible. By the morning all I wanted was a shower."
With no job and facing the prospect of a life on the streets, Wilson approached the Citizens Advice Bureau the next day for help. They suggested going to the Salvation Army who, seeing their desperate situation, immediately placed them in an emergency house.
All four lived together for about four months until the Salvation Army helped Wilson and Sarah find a Housing New Zealand home to stay in - her aunt and nephew moving to other accommodation.
More than a year has passed since that night under the bridge and Wilson says their lives now are "amazing". After being put through budgeting and parenting courses, Wilson has a job as a cleaner - and is doing volunteer work for the Salvation Army. At the same time Sarah was given counselling.
"Without the Salvation Army I don't know where we'd be," she says. "I wanted to start over again, to do something better for my daughter. It's been an amazing change for us, our whole life has changed."
With Sarah now happy at school, Wilson continues to do courses with the Salvation Army to help them both.
She says Christmas last year was "extra special". The Salvation Army organised a Christmas hamper and presents for the pair; Sarah got to play Santa giving out gifts to other kids; and they were given a special holiday allowing them to visit family.
Wilson's case is not an isolated one. Poverty is an increasing problem in New Zealand with an estimated 300,000 children alone suffering its effects, according to UNICEF New Zealand. This represents about 28 per cent of all children, a figure twice as high as in 1984.
Many of these people are trying to live on incomes as low as $28,000 a year, or $550 a week.
The Salvation Army says it expects to help around 17,000 families deal with the stresses of the Christmas period with food, budget advice, counselling and accommodation assistance.
"Each year about 60,000 children benefit from the support we provide their families - that's about one in five of those living in poverty," says Major Pam Waugh, the Salvation Army's head of social services. "We want to stop Christmas being a killer for Kiwis this year.
"We are asking New Zealanders to help bring hope to life for these struggling people by donating to our Christmas Appeal. For many it is a time of extreme stress and loneliness - Christmas adds extra pressure on top of the everyday bills and stresses for those only just getting by," she says.
The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal launched this week throughout New Zealand. Donations can be made online at to www.salvationarmy.org.nz/christmasappeal or by phoning 0800 53 00 00.