A woman struggling due to the cost of living crisis has reportedly been forced to share instant noodles with her dog for two weeks as a result.
This is just one of many harrowing stories that Mark Wells, manager of a local food pantry, has heard from visitors in recent months.
The 45-year-old, who runs Foods Facts Friends in Penicuik, Edinburgh, says demand for the service has exploded since last summer, with people desperate for help.
And it’s been a “scary” process, as he worries the pantry won’t have enough food to give to those in need.
“For months, I have been panicking about whether we are going to have enough for all of the people who are coming in,” he told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
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“I am also scared for those who aren’t reaching the service as well.
“We close at four o’clock in the afternoon and one day, I forgot to lock the door.
“Two ladies walked in while myself and a few of the other volunteers were sitting down to have a cup of tea.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry, we are closed’ – but then I realised that one of them was a nurse in an NHS badge and uniform.
“She said she needed to speak to someone in charge, and I said I was the manager.
“She was a community nurse and explained that she’d just came from a medical practice with the other lady, having taken her for a doctor’s appointment because she was struggling with her mental health.
“The woman had been there for over an hour and when the nurse took her home, she realised she had no food.
“She had been sharing noodles with her dog for a fortnight.
“We took her to the pantry and let her pick what she wanted to eat.
“We then gave her a hamper in the run-up to Christmas, which we dropped off at her house.
“She came in to see me last week [in January] and thanked us for the bit of silverside beef that she got, which lasted her two days.
“Thankfully, she was looking a little bit better.
“I was overwhelmed and very happy that we were able to help her.”
Mark, who also hails from Penicuik, explained that the woman’s dog was also helped by the pantry, which provides pet food as well.
Unfortunately, harrowing stories like this are now becoming more common.
Sharing another example, Mark said: “I help another lady in her house.
“She just eats sandwiches and things like that because she can’t afford to put her electricity on.
“It’s very sad.
“When I started the [pantry] project in 2016, my first customer was a homeless man.
“It was a priority to help him and he’s got accommodation now.
“But back then he was sleeping on the streets and eating things like cold beans out of cans.
“Now he’s eating properly, even though his situation is still a chaotic.
“We also make homemade meals and all he has to do is heat them up in the microwave.”
The service, funded by local grants and public donations, originally began as a food bank.
However, at the request of users, it turned into a pantry so that they could have the dignity of choosing their own items and paying a small amount of money for them.
This equates to just £3.50 per person or £7 for a family with a child under 16.
Mark said: “If someone was to go to Citizens Advice and say they had no food, they would give them a voucher for the pantry too.
“It’s more like a normal shopping experience.
“You’re not being handed a box or a bag of food.
“Instead, you can pick and choose what you and your family would like.”
While Mark advises that anyone experiencing food poverty reach out for help, he also admits that he doesn’t see an end in sight for the need for such services.
He says the cost of living crisis is forcing professionals like teachers and nurses to use the pantry too.
Mark added: “Do not to be embarrassed to go in because there are very friendly staff and volunteers who are there to help you.
“[Unfortunately], I actually think it [the cost of living situation] is going to get worse.”
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