North East food banks delivered over 68,000 food parcels
New data from Trussell Trust has been released.
Food banks across the North East have handed out over 68,000 emergency food parcels between April and September this year.
The Trussell Trust reveal that it's a 59% increase from 2019, but a 10% decrease from last year.
Amy Wisenfeld, from the Trussell group, said: "We're still seeing an increasing number of people who are experiencing hardship, who don't have enough money in their pockets to be able to afford the essentials.
"Work isn't providing enough reliable routes out of poverty and things like lack of affordable child care, expensive housing and expensive transport can be barriers for people having enough money in their pockets to be able to afford food and other essential items."
Marie Burnett, poverty prevention team leader at Key Community food bank in South Shields, said: "Our biggest struggle currently is the number of donations that we receive doesn't meet the demand of the cost-of-living.
"A lot of people who were donating to us don't have that spare money anymore to be able to donate. They could be helping friends and family, or they just don't have the spare cash themselves to think that they can do that.
"We do see a lot of people who are in food poverty and food insecurity on a daily basis."