Sarolta Blanar at the QCCA

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A FOOD bank in Queen’s Crescent is seeing record numbers of new faces, as demand increased by 50 per cent.

Sarolta Blanar, the new coordinator of Queen’s Crescent Community Association (QCCA) food bank, said the rise in demand includes people who work full time.

She said: “I started at the beginning of March when we had 60 people coming. Last week we had 90. Today, we’ve already recorded 10 new people who we’ve never seen before.

“It is insane. It’s really crazy and who knows where it’s going to stop. We need to really organise ourselves and figure out how we are going to deal with this.”

Destin Stanislaus, a food bank user who lives nearby and has been a Camden resident for 30 years, said of the cost of living crisis: “It’s terrible. I’ve never seen it as bad as it is. A lot of people can’t afford to have their normal lives. It’s terrible. It’s affecting everybody. No one is exempt from what’s happening in the country at the moment.”

Mr Stanislaus has been coming to QCCA for just over a year.

“I need to because I’m 62 years old and it’s hard for me to find a job. A lot of people don’t want to hire a 62-year-old when they could hire someone who is 35,” he said. “My landlady also put my rent up and I’m on the benefit cap so it’s very hard. My rent is paid for and I have to live on £122 a month. I know some people who spend that on gas and heating.” QCCA does not require referrals and receives produce from The Felix Project and City Harvest.

Ms Blanar, who lives around the corner, added: “We definitely need more volunteers and we need donations. Anything you can bring is always very much appreciated.”

l If you can help with volunteering, email: sarolta@qcca.org.uk