WE WERE out for our regular demo day last Thursday outside the jobcentre. I say demo but we do so much more — hand information leaflets out, offer solidarity and advice. We’ve become a lifeline to many who are desperately needing all of the above.

Regular readers will know that we hand out food parcels each week. This week we had about five to start with. There was already a queue forming for them. So they went within 30 minutes. Later on a comrade arrived with three more and they went in no time at all. It’s awful. Queuing in the street for a food parcel.

This government does not care one bit, and it’s pointless trying to reach to its so-called compassionate side because it doesn’t have one. Instead Theresa May spouts on about a “shared society.”

I’d have to agree that one thing that we are sharing among many is poverty — which we have in abundance. The wealth certainly doesn’t trickle down and it won’t start to until we have a change of government. It certainly looks after its own.

To say it was cold was an understatement. Despite my layers I was still shivering. My heart went out to the people who we saw with thin coats on, cotton shoes and no hats, scarves and gloves. We have been donated some lovely warm clothes so we handed these out, but it still felt like it wasn’t enough. It was a day when I thought that nothing I was doing would have any effect. Daft, I know, but I can’t keep the cold off someone’s back or the worry from their mind, although we really do our best to help.

A lovely man started to talk to me — he had been sanctioned yet again. This happens a lot because once the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has sanctioned you, it’ll likely happen again. These people must been seen as an easy way to hit targets. This is why we advise everyone to appeal against a sanction and to appeal against an ESA medical decision. The DWP hates this because most appeals succeed.

Remember the government wants as many jobless people off the unemployment stats by any means possible. And it is ruthless at doing this.

I also spoke to a lovely young lady who had her gorgeous young baby with her. She’s on income support and her adviser had told her that she had to go on the work programme. I advised her that a lone parent with a child under the age of five didn’t have to go on the programme. She reported back that the adviser had a bit of a strop and muttered something along the lines of: “Well, I’ll have to take you off the list then.”

This is how easy it is for them to break the rules. Once we empower people, they empower themselves even more and become a force to be reckoned with. They then help others. This is one of the reasons why we do this. It’s amazing to see someone turn their situation round.

Some weeks it does hit hard — this was one of them and I’m not ashamed to say that I feel a bit despondent. But this will give me the motivation to carry on campaigning.

I have a 10-year-old daughter. She’s very astute and compassionate. Today she said: “Why can’t the government treat people with respect? Everyone deserves respect. No-one should ever go hungry like this and it’s wrong.

“I want to take the government to court for everyone that has died or has gone hungry. They need punishing because it’s cruel. When I grow up I’m going to try to do this. I’m proud of you mum, and I’m proud of everyone else that is campaigning.”

At only 10 years old, she can see the unnecessary cruelty.

Many could learn from her despite her young age. I’m very proud of her.

Maybe one day she will be able to make a difference and I will do everything within my power to enable this. Our children are indeed our future and we need to nurture them.

• Charlotte Hughes writes at thepoorsideoflife.wordpress.com