Debbie Simmonds says it isn't unusual for her to check the cupboards of the Preston Area Food Network's community shelves and find them empty. 

The three sheds are located in the historically Black communities of Cherry Brook, North Preston and East Preston, providing food and hygiene items to around 100 people per week who are struggling to make ends meet. 

"We should have the essentials. It's just our basic right to get those things," said Simmonds, the organization's food hub co-ordinator. 

She…