A scheme that redistributes a tonne of food a week to people in the Newtown area which supermarkets would otherwise throw away say a need for more for volunteers would make the "biggest difference to our future".
Newtown Food Surplus (NFS) has around 60 volunteers who help with a wide range of roles from collecting food from supermarkets as far as Welshpool in every weather to twice-weekly food shares that see at least 150 people at the Scout Hall near Ysgol Calon y Dderwen.
The aim is simple: to stop good food going to landfill when it can be given to people to be eaten, whether they can afford it or not.
Leanna Kendal has been going to the food share for a year. She said she'll never forget the first time she walked through the doors.
"I was having a really bad day and I walked past and they asked ‘do you need anything?’ and it totally turned my day around because I had nothing at home and it was lucky that I’d seen this queue," she said.
Elle Jones described the scheme as "absolutely amazing" for her young family,
"If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be," she said. "With the money I’m getting at the moment I’m struggling especially with the four children. But here it has a really good impact on the family. It’s extra meals in their bellies, and it saves it from going to landfill."
Also in the queue was Ben, who said more people should be using the food share. "Needing help is not something to be ashamed of. It’s a massive help to everyone that comes here."
NFS says it needs volunteers who are committed to helping the huge demand for food in Newtown.
Volunteering with the scheme came at the right time, says Pam Lyons, who lost her son around four months before joining.
"It really did help me; it got me into that pattern of getting up in the morning. It was good and it definitely came just at the right time for me."
Marilyn has also been volunteering with NFS for two years, which she described as "quite an eye opener" when she discovered the need in Powys' largest town.
She said: "I was definitely surprised but then we know it’s happening all over the country. It’s not just here in Newtown.
"This organisation is doing an amazing job and it’s ongoing and we need to keep going we can’t stop now, that’s for sure.
"I was very surprised by a comment that I’d heard asking ‘are there that many poor people in Newtown?’ and I thought yes, of course there are, and we want to help them and not see them struggling. This is just a small part of helping their lives. It can’t be easy these days for families and the cost of living."
NFS director Liz Roberts who has been approaching local businesses for sponsorship that would secure the scheme's future which costs around £40,000-a-year to run with fuel, lease and electricity bills.
"When you see the need in Newtown, and there is a huge need, then we want to keep going for as long as we can," she said.
"For me, doing this gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning because you know it’s going to benefit someone.
"We’re always looking for more volunteers particularly driving to Welshpool and helping with hub management which is a huge opportunity."
Depending on funding, NFS wants to reach more people in rural areas and set up pop-up shops in villages rather than just in Newtown.
Simon Longley, director, said: "The costs are inevitable but we’re not in a panic. We’re looking at funding to make us sustainable.
"It’s quite a complex financial situation but it’s one that we’re confident that we can given the goodwill of businesses in Newtown and the support of the National Lottery we will be keeping long into the future."
Simon added: "Getting money is straightforward in one sense, getting people to commit is more difficult. It would help us a lot if a few more people gave us a bit more. We welcome anyone in the Newtown area to join us and play a part in the work that we are doing."
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