A CHARITY which provides one of life's most basic needs to people in crisis is appealing for the public's help to cast some festive cheer this year.
The West Somerset Food Cupboard has seen demand for its food parcels rise to an all-time high.
Since it was set up in 2007 it has handed out more than 2,000 parcels - almost half of those in the last 12 months alone.
Now its volunteers are hoping to build up winter stocks and make up 200 special Christmas parcels aimed at helping the elderly, recently bereaved, sick, working families who earn less than enough to get by yet too much to qualify for any help and the homeless.
"We depend upon the kindness and generosity of many people without whom the Food Cupboard could not continue," said co-ordinator Christine Payne.
"Christmas is a season when we are very much aware of those in need.
"We cannot truly celebrate ourselves when others are excluded through poverty and donating an item of food is one of the best ways of helping others to enjoy what many of us take for granted."
Mrs Payne said demand for the charity's help was rising as more and more people struggled to put food on the table as they tried to cope with the ever increasing cost of living.
"This year we have seen a sharp increase in 'in work' poverty where individuals plummet into crisis situations suddenly and more frequently," she said.
The reasons can be varied, from agency work drying up to erratic income for the self-employed or workers forced into lower working hours by their employers.
"A lot of work locally is seasonal or part-time and an unexpected or unbudgetable bill can quickly throw someone into financial catastrophe," said Mrs Payne.
"We hope shoppers will be willing to add a little extra to their trollies and donate it to the Food Cupboard as they leave Morrisons."