Summer is the time when people tend to forget that others are still in need of help.

Food banks are running low on food while the number of people in need is increasing.

"Our clientele is increasing," said Mieke Van Es, co-ordinator of the Port Colborne-Wainfleet inter-church food bank. "We get more and more people in the summer."

Van Es also said they receive lots of younger people and a lot of children.

"I think more kids come in the summer because they aren't in school," said Mary Anne Feagan, program co-ordinator at the Port Cares reach-out centre.

The reach-out centre runs a community meal program as well as providing emergency food when a person can't reach a food bank.

The reach-out centre recently added Tuesday to their community meal program and Feagan said that they are always very busy in the summer.

"Because of the increased demand and service, this increases the need for donations," said Feagan.

Van Es said that the food bank is running very low on food including vegetables and canned meat.

"We could also use snacks for kids and cereal and soup," said Van Es.

Both women said they believe that in the summer people tend to forget that others are still in need.

"We traditionally receive an influx of donations during the holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas," said Feagan. "Summer isn't the time when people think of the poor and donations are usually lower."

Van Es said that she believes one of the reasons that donations are so low is because of the amount of people travelling throughout the course of the summer. She also said that there are so many different people asking for help that maybe that accounts for the lack of donations.

"We could definitely use a hand," said Van Es.

To donate and for more information call the Port Cares reach out centre at 905-834-3629 or the Port Colborne Wainfleet inter church food bank at 905-834-6576.