Aneita was working in education when a problem with her tax credits meant she was forced to use a food bank.
“I was suddenly plunged into a financial nightmare, not knowing how I was going to pay my bills, feed myself and my daughter, buy things we needed…
“I remember sitting in the waiting room, with my daughter, waiting to be given a food parcel. I was holding back my tears not wanting my daughter to see me upset and thinking ‘how has it got to this?’
“We need to get rid of food banks. We need change – a real living wage, benefits that reflect the cost of living, more social housing. Poverty does not discriminate – it can and will single you out through no fault of your own. We need to bring people together to think about whether this is the life we want – and how we can change it. It’s the community that can influence change.”