A supermarket that sells items at considerably cheaper prices for those on a low income has seen its membership almost treble due to the cost of living crisis.
The SHoRes' Community Pantry in Withernsea first opened in 2020 to help people facing financial struggles as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
But rocketing rates of inflation and soaring energy bills means the “social supermarket” is now seeing people from all walks of life sign up in order to help them afford essentials.
The Southern Holderness Resource Centre (SHoRes) pantry is open to those living in the South East Holderness area near Withernsea and requires proof of residence.
Prices can be as cheap as 50p for a supermarket-sized bag of fruit or veg, and 50p for a 250g pack of turkey mince, reports Hull Live.
The store buys its stock from FareShare - a charity network aimed at relieving food poverty - then sells at discounted prices to people on benefits and low incomes.
CEO Jayne Nendick says membership has almost tripled - with customers who were living comfortably until only recently, including teachers, those in long-term employment and pensioners who moved to the coast to retire.
One customer who previously donated to food banks has started using the pantry as she is now struggling to afford food for herself.
Jayne said: "We set up our community pantry in October 2020 as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, I could see at the time that the funding to support food banks would become more limited.
"Within the first month of us opening we had around 300 people join up, now we've got more than 800 members and over 90 per cent of them are encountering hardship.
“There's been an influx of new members in the last year as their bills and living costs have increased. We get new members coming on board almost every day.”
She added: "All of us are affected by this crisis, it's not just Withernsea or South East Holderness and we're not just working with people on benefits.
Jayne says the shop now serves people that "never have been on our radar before".
"They had no reason to come to us before but now the cards are stacked against them," she added.
The CEO says that residents are aware the situation is likely to get worse as costs have only continued to rise.
"Everyone's feeling nervous about what's ahead of us, there's no one I've come across who says that things will all be okay. We know there's going to be one challenge after another for people.
"No one can see into a crystal ball but one thing we'll see in a place like this is and in many others is a growth in community spirit to support others.
“People are becoming more observant in their communities, they're seeing what's happening to others and they're stepping up to help.
"And those people feel ashamed when they have to come to a food bank. It's part of the reason why we set up a social supermarket, to create an environment that felt more like the retail experience.
People tend to blame themselves for being in these situations, but it's the circumstances [they are facing]."
