Matthew, a single father from Castle Cary, is staring down a summer that promises more stress than sunshine. He relies on the Millbrook Hub community larder up to three times a week for nappies, toilet roll, and the occasional meal for himself - because his children's food comes first. "Without it, I don't know what I'd do," he said, summing up the cost of living crisis in a single, bleak sentence.

But the larder's shelves are looking thinner. Charity leaders report that donations to food banks and community larders have hit record lows, just as Somerset Council ends a scheme that gave supermarket vouchers to families of children on free school meals. Matthew, who can't work because he's a full-time dad, now faces stretching his budget even further - or begging friends for help to feed his kids.

The Trussell Trust's North Bristol and South Gloucestershire branch is now buying more of its own stock than ever: one in every four of the 15,045 parcels it gave out in 2025. CEO Ellen Wood noted that even community generosity has limits. "If this trend keeps happening one or two years down the line, I don't know," she said. Food logistics manager Loki Stokes added that stock has never been lower, and the usual week-long buffer across nine outlets is becoming a luxury.

Mark Hutton, who helps run the Millbrook Hub, blames a perfect storm: supermarkets cutting back donations, and everyone trying to save money. Meanwhile, a Somerset Council spokesperson offered a familiar refrain - they recognize the pressure, and the Crisis and Resilience Fund (which replaced the Household Support Fund in April) is there to help. For Matthew, that help can't come soon enough.