The reality of rising prices and energy bills can be seen throughout the region as families struggle to make ends meet.
From mothers collecting nappies for their children to people hoping to pick up surplus items from supermarkets, foodbanks are relying on donations from the community to keep them running.
Yet as the queues get bigger, many volunteer organisations are having to issue more appeals for help.
Donations are what helps keep the Angel Trust’s new foodbank and pantry in Bishop Auckland afloat – but its founder Clair McGregor is worried the support could dry up.
Dozens of people walked through the facility’s doors on Friday including large queues before it had even opened.
Talking of the initiative’s new-found popularity, Clair said: “I didn’t expect people to come as much as they are. On Tuesday we had enough food for what we thought would last for two days, but we closed at 1pm.
“We find a lot of working people are coming here. They’re saying they’ve paid their bills and now their surplus has gone and to have something like this takes the pressure away.
“I don’t want people queuing, it’s sad that they must do that, but the thing that worries me is sustaining it.
“We hope we can get everyone behind us – it can’t drop off. I just hope that the community continues to get behind us and helps us with surplus food.”
And the trust’s volunteers keep smiling and continue to meet new and recurring visitors everyday, providing them with well sought after supplies and support in troubling times.
They have received accreditation from the Trussell Trust to act as a foodbank for two days a week to provide benefit support, CV writing, and mental health and debt management classes alongside food parcels.
Clair added: “A lot of people are saying it’s so friendly. We didn’t want to be somewhere that just put food trays out. We want to get to the root of the problem and find out what’s going on, and how we can help.
“We have a good team of volunteers, the community really get behind us. We might be the face of it but it was a full community project.”
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