A charity has created an innovative way to dispense the necessities that are essential to the homeless.

Action Hunger will be providing items such as fresh fruit, tooth paste, sanitary towels, sandwiches, and socks, free of charge.

With the cold weather approaching, and the rate of the homeless population soaring in the United Kingdom, the homeless will have access the vending machine at all hours, and can collect up to three items per day. The charity said they are limiting the quantity to three items as a way to mitigate the chance of dependency on it, Reuters reports.

"Action Hunger's machines provide access for the most vulnerable in our society to satiate the most basic of needs - that of sustenance," the charity said on its website.

"They permit access to food and clothing free of charge at any hour - without requiring anyone to be left without aid outside the operating hours of the various charities and shelters that are available," it added.

Several supermarkets will be donating to the initiative in Nottingham, while volunteers will stock the vending machines each day.

Users will be able to have access to the machines by having a special chip-based key card, with those in dire need given priority.

According to Independent, shelters received a call for help every 22 seconds in the lead up to Christmas last year, with more than 500 calls made on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 2016.

Elaine Stephens from Whitemoor is excited for the project to be launched, and hopes it offers some good in the community.

"I think it's a really good idea and I actually read that Nottingham City Council helped 139 homeless people last year," Stephens told Daily Mail.

"I do help out where I can and buy them food if I see them. There is a gentleman that I regularly buy breakfast for and especially around this time of year when it's freezing it's good to help out," she said.

Action Hunger plans to install a more machines in Los Angeles, New York City, and Seattle later next year.

Would you like to see a vending machine for the homeless in your neighborhood?