A foodbank providing meals for struggling families may have to expand because of the credit crunch, its founder said.

The Community Emergency Foodbank has given parcels of food to more than 200 people since its creation in April.

It provides three days of food for families who have been referred to them by groups, including social services, churches and GPs.

People who have been referred to the service hand a voucher to volunteers at the foodbank’s base at St Francis Church, in Hollow Way, Cowley, Oxford, in return for food.

The service currently opens for two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Founder Jane Benyon said: "We have had good feedback that the service has got people through a difficult time.

"But, with the credit crunch, we are going to have an increased number of people coming through our doors. We may need to open for more days in the future."

An open day on Tuesday gave visitors the chance to see the type of packages which are handed out and an opportunity to ask questions about the service.

Mrs Benyon said: "The people we have helped have come from a really wide range of socio and economic backgrounds.

"It is from people on long term benefits to professional people where something has gone wrong or there has been a crisis in the family and they have found themselves with no cash to buy food.

"Some people find it very difficult to come in — they are very embarrassed and they feel uncomfortable, but we try to make them feel welcome."

The service has set a limit of three packages per family, as it aims only to provide short term relief to those most in need.

Mrs Benyon said: "All of the people that have come here have been genuine and have never tried to come back more than two or three times."

Donations to the foodbank have come from a variety of churches around the city, including the Oxford Living Word Fellowship, based in New Road.

Its Pastor, Memory Tapfu-maneyi said: "It is a great initiative. If you give people money they do not tend to use it for food. When you give them food it is guaranteed they have something to eat."

To find out more about the service call 01993 810622.