A Stormont "social supermarket" scheme aimed at tackling food poverty is being expanded amid the cost-of-living crisis.
In addition to food bank facilities, the initiative provides struggling families with services such as debt advice and skills training.
The Social Supermarket Pilot Programme has been run by the Department for Communities at five sites since October 2017.
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Food has been supplied by the Fareshare charity, an organisation which distributes surplus food from supermarkets, suppliers and manufacturers to charities to directly tackle food poverty.
Sites were previously set up in Lisburn, Coleraine, Strabane, West Belfast and Derry.
Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said she has "approved the expansion of the social supermarket approach" following a "positive evaluation".
A budget of £1.5million has been allocated to support the work in 2022/23, she said.
The Sinn Féin minister added: "This is being taken forward through a co-design process with each council and their local stakeholders to design a model that best meets local need."
The social supermarket programme was created in a bid to mitigate the impact in Northern Ireland of UK-wide welfare reforms.
Almost 120,000 people had received support through the scheme up to March 2020.
Ms Hargey provided details on the expansion of the scheme to SDLP Foyle MLA Mark Durkan in response to a written Assembly question.
Mr Durkan, the SDLP's communities spokesperson, praised the initiative and welcomed its development to help hard-pressed families.
But he expressed disappointment that such schemes were needed to help lift people out of poverty.
The MLA added: "Government can't really brag about spending money on initiatives to tackle poverty that government action or inaction had a part in creating."
It emerges as demand for food banks in Northern ireland has been increasing.
More than 61,000 food parcels were provided by the Trussell Trust from April 2021 to March this year - a 36% increase compared to the previous 12-month period.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed direct payments from the UK government of up to £650 will be made to those in greatest need amid the rising cost of living after a funding mechanism for Northern Ireland was agreed.
The UK government announced the payments earlier this year but discussion was required to find a way of delivering these to Northern Ireland in the absence of a fully functioning Stormont Executive.
The DUP has blocked the establishment of a new Executive in protest over Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol.
Most ministers from the previous power-sharing administration before May's election remain in post in a caretaker capacity.
Ms Hargey said the lack of a functioning Executive and agreed budget prevented her from introducing further cost-of-living support measures.
She said she was "deeply frustrated" by the impasse but has asked her department to "fully explore and expedite all options".
The DUP has argued caretaker ministers can still make important decisions, accusing political opponents of "wringing their hands and blaming others".
It pointed to DUP Education Minister Michelle McIlveen's announcement last week that families of children entitled to free school meals will receive a school holiday food grant this summer.
Read more: Fuel payment scheme cannot be reopened without NI Executive, says Communities Minister
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