By bizn_fun 
At the food bank, Grahame Lucas said he worked to “turn frowns upside down”.
“It’s a bit corny, I know, but people come here perhaps not feeling the most positive but they walk away with a smile on their face,” he added.
Mr Lucas has been manager of Worcester Foodbank since 2014 and said in that time the charity has “grown out of all recognition”.
“We started out feeding about 3,000 people a year and prior to Covid up to about 9,000 people and now we’re up to 18,000 people,” he said.
“We’re now braced for the autumn rush, when people start getting their energy bills on the doormat. This is by far the busiest period.”
Mr Lucas and his team provide about 250,000 meals annually, at a cost of £500,000.
The service also provides “cooking parcels”, which include herbs and spices, as well as a toiletries hamper too.
“Clients have said to us that we’re lifesavers and without us people have admitted they would be forced to shoplift just to survive,” Mr Lucas said.