The number of families recommended for food aid by Stewartry Council for Voluntary Services more than doubled last year.
Shock new figures show SCVS referred 100 applicants to the area’s food bank in 2018 – compared with just under 50 in 2017.
SCVS chairman Derek Smith cited benefit changes as one of several possible causes for the spike.
He told the News: “It may be the switch over to Universal Credit – there must be some tie-in there. But some of the methods of employment and payment certainly don’t help.
“There is a lot of unseen poverty. Folk are very proud round here and that need is kept hidden.
“People come to us when there’s a gap in their job and they have literally run out of money.
“That can mean travelling to Dumfries to sort things – but if you have no money how do you do that?”
According to Mr Smith, those seeking food bank help all have a different story to tell.
He said: “There are various holes people can fall into totally unintentionally.
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“One elderly couple were badly advised to improve their pension prospects by building another property.
“It all went wrong. They had to take out a mortgage, they couldn’t sell and in the end they lost the lot.
“That was all because a spiv came along and said I can make you money.”
Meanwhile, Mr Smith praised donors for rescuing SCVS after its near-death experience last year.
He said: “Stewartry Food Bank is one of our biggest supporters. They were one of the first people to bung in a regular income to keep us going.
“We have also had a quite a few larger one-off donations. I really believe that within two years we will have enough regular donations to keep us going.
“Our aim is to become self–funding within that time, to balance the books and live within our means. That way we won’t suffer a repeat of our previous problems.”
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Mr Smith added: “It has really helped our visibility being in the right spot on St Mary’s Street.
“People have been coming in to ask what we do and if we are looking for volunteers.”
At an emergency EGM last July SCVS agreed to wind up its business arm and convert to full charitable status which it achieved on March 18.
Mr Smith said: “We now service 153 local organisations which is absolutely amazing.
“Without support from our staff, their families, the volunteers and our board members we would not be here.
