The Whistler community has really stepped up in recent months to help restock the busy Food Bank, and as the holiday season approaches, more donations are needed.

Thanks to a great community response in early September, with food drives, a wood chop fundraiser and increased donations, there is currently food on the shelves at Whistler’s Food Bank, said Lorna Van Straaten, administrator of Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS), which runs the Food Bank. But with increased usage continuing and the typically busy months at the Food Bank ahead, more is needed.

Though holiday food drives will soon begin and people have started paying their parking tickets under the municipality’s discount offer that includes a Food Bank donation, Van Straaten said she wants to encourage people to donate items when they do their shopping at local grocery stores.

“Every can helps,” she said. “Even if you can put just one can in at the grocery store, it adds up.”

Food Bank usage seems to be stabilizing a little, after a summer that was so busy, Van Straaten called it “a little bit mind blowing.” But numbers are still up over last year.

In August 2008 the Food Bank served 40 people. This year, August saw 116 people access the service, she said.

The most recent stats available are for October, where usage stabilized a little but was still 25 per cent more than last year. More people typically access the Food Bank in November, December and January than during the summer, Van Straaten said.

It’s hard to pinpoint the reasons behind the trends, but with more children coming in with parents to pick up food, it shows that Whistler families are being affected by the economy, she said. Overall, there has been an increased demand and that demand is continuing, she said.

Food donations can be made at bins at Nesters Market, IGA, the Grocery Store and Creekside Market. Information on how to run a food drive can be found at the WCSS website: www.mywcss.org/food-bank.

The municipality’s parking ticket offer runs until Dec. 3, with $5 from every ticket payment being donated to the Food Bank. All outstanding tickets older than 30 days can be paid for half price.

In the first two days of the ticket offer, Nov. 19 and 20, a total of 30 tickets were paid, said a municipal spokesperson.

As the holiday season approaches, WCSS is also preparing to offer its Christmas hamper program again. Traditionally, more than 20 Whistler families each year have had hampers of toys, gifts and food delivered, Van Straaten said. The program is confidential, but WCSS matches donors with families so appropriate toys can be purchased for children.

Food is distributed from the Whistler Food Bank on the first and third Mondays of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. from the trailer behind Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church on Lorimer Road. For more information or to make a donation, call (604) 935-7717.