A single mum who relies on a local food bank to help feed her daughter has told how a spike in demand has led to supplies running out.
Alison Trevellion, 57, from Aylesham, Kent, is petitioning for more support from the Government amid the cost of living crisis as thousands struggle to survive.
The mum-of-one told how she "working really hard to make ends meet" but it is immensely difficult with energy bills and groceries shooting up overnight.
Alison, who works part-time as a care worker, has recently found herself visiting community hub BeChange every Friday to collect a box of surplus food from supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste.
But the centre has been struggling to meet skyrocketing demands and supplies often run out - prompting people to queue outside in order to secure food, and the foodbank to take action.
"I do try to get there early as it saves me around £20 a week. It's got so busy now that staff have to put boxes together to make sure there's some saved for everyone," Alison told the Mirror.
"FareShare used to receive funding but it has since been axed and now the Government say it's not their job to help. Unfortunately when I went last week there was no FareShare delivery at all."
Alison, who relies on the delivery to make a "decent meal" for her 14-year-old daughter Gracie says she "couldn't survive without BeChange".
"I go to bed at night and worry about things that lie ahead. I hope and pray that my car won't break down," Alison said.
"My food bill is around £90 a week now and a few weeks ago it was £60. I always buy supermarket-own brands and we never eat out.
"Our energy bills have gone up a lot. I can't afford to put the heating on but I've got a young daughter and she needs to stay warm. At night, we have hot water bottles in bed.
"It used to be tight but now there's never any extra money. We haven't been on holiday in three years and the last one was at a friend's caravan.
"I can't take Gracie bowling or go to the cinema and I'm not in the position to buy her branded trainers or a new phone like her friends.
"It's hard for her but I think she realises how expensive everything is now when we go on the food shop."
Alison earns around £700 a month and spends £300 on gas, electricity and council tax. She has help from Universal Credit to pay her £780 rent in a housing association.
"I started the petition so the Government would see that us normal people are really struggling and it's only going to get worse," Alison said.
"I'd love to swap places with the Prime Minister for a week so he'd know what it feels like to ask yourself, 'What are we going to eat for dinner tonight? How will I afford that big bill?"
Alison has "no shame in asking for help" and urges other people struggling to afford to live to reach out too.
BeChange manager Angela Angela Doggett told the Mirror: "Our Deal Area food bank doesn't run out but FareShare on Fridays often does. Getting there early has become a bit of an issue.
"We have around 30 people queuing for it. To try and make things fair and allow time for parents who do the school run, we now open at 9:30am.
"Some people were taking everything and clearing the tables so now we limit it. We get about 11 crates a week and pre-covid we'd never have got rid of it - now it's gone almost immediately.
"We have a community fridge that stocks FareShare foods like yoghurt and cheese. If we advertise it, it always goes within a few hours."
BeChange also runs cooking courses, first aid classes and has a pay-what-you-can-afford lunch on Fridays.
"Almost everyone we talk to is struggling with their mental wellbeing. The average person who is on a low or middle income worries about how they'll cope in the future," Angela said.
"It would be helpful if the Government recognised the work that small charities like us do.
"BeChange isn't commissioned by the Government and our funding comes from grants that we've applied for or fundraising.
"Our biggest worry is always that we won't be able to keep our doors open. We've had situations where we've nearly closed but thankfully we're not near that at the moment.
"We're here for everyone and no one should ever struggle alone."
You can donate to BeChange on the website or sign Alison's petition online.
Do you rely on a food bank to feed your family? Get in touch at nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
