The number of people using the Waterford Food Bank has increased by almost 20%.
That's according to Karen Glancy, one of the volunteers with the Waterford Food Bank.
Speaking on Déise Today she explained that parents are having to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their children.
Karen continues to explain that new people using their services tend to be families where both parents are working and that trends have changed from years before.
"In Waterford at the moment, our demand has increased by 20% since last year, predominantly in the latter part of the year," Karen told Damien Tiernan.
"We have always helped those in need, and we have helped people from deprived areas and areas where we would recognize that they would need that extra help.
"Now we find that a lot of our new users are double-working parent families and that they are making choices between them eating and their children eating and purchasing fuel and food".
A new survey by Barnardos has found 1 in 5 parents in Ireland did not have enough food to feed their children, with 1 in 7 not being able to afford a main meal for their family.
"Food and security leads to so many guilts in parents," Karen continued, "they feel as if they are inadequate and unable to provide for their family.
"They seem to think the assistance is only for the more deprived areas and families. We have 100% confidentiality and non-judgment and 100% dignity to the end-users.
"All of us are but one wage packet from asking for help. We can all get that one bill that knocks us to our knees."
To contact Waterford Food Bank you can email them on [email protected] or phone them on 083 421 1341.
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