A mum has told her son not to expect any Christmas presents after using a food bank for a year after losing her job.
Christine Borton, last bought groceries in December last year after she and her family were given cash from kind-hearted members of the public after reports of their financial woes.
As a single mum, she has struggled to pay bills after losing her support worker job for medical reasons.
Christine from Birmingham, West Midlands, faced difficult decisions' since losing her employment and had told her ten-year-old son not to expect any gifts on Christmas Day.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the cost of everyday food items has risen by almost 50% this year as people struggle to pay energy bills and rent.
The 38-year-old has relied on her local food bank to feed her family for the past year.
Ms Borton told Birmingham Live : "I haven’t done a good food shop in nearly a year.
"The last time was in December when I did a big shop for Christmas but that was only because I got help from some very kind people.
"When I tell people they don’t believe me but it’s true - if you came to my house right now and looked in my freezer you would see it is empty. I used to do a big shop every month - I’d take my children with me and they’d help me choose.
"But now, whenever I go, I can’t go far into the shop - I just get the basics the children need to survive and that's it. The rest all comes from food banks."
Christine, who is trying to get back into work, has called on the government to better support struggling families during the winter.
She said: "I don’t think the government is taking this crisis seriously.
"I don’t think they’re looking into what they’re doing correctly.
"They have given a bit of money to help with energy - but what about gas? What about food? I can’t get excited over it when there are still other things to worry about."
In parts of the city child poverty rates are well over 40% and desperate families are turning to food banks to get by.
A FoodSOS campaign has been launched to support these food banks and other organisations feeding the rising tide of hunger in the area.
For details of how to get help and give help visit the JustGiving page which has been set up to help those in need.
The Mirror reported how earlier this month how five miles from the Tory party conference desperate families were queuing for emergency food.
Hungry households already unable to cope amid the cost-of-living crisis urged Conservatives descending on the city to throw them a lifeline.
With inflation running at 9.9%, food prices rocketing and banks scrapping mortgage deals, many fear their plight will deepen.
Yama Gaye, 49, whose two sons aged 25 and 11, and daughter, 19, all live at home, said: “There’s quite a lot of pressure already, it’s hard.
“The help I am getting from the food bank is very important - I don’t even have enough money to top up my electricity.”
