Last weekend the North Whidbey Help House held its annual “Christmas in July” fundraiser, and though donations came in, Santa wasn’t generous this summer: It doesn’t look like the nonprofit is going to be able to reach its monthly goal.

Jean Wieman, Help House executive director, said the July goal was to collect 7,000 pounds of food and $7,000 cash. On Saturday, volunteers from organizations like Oak Harbor Lions Club, Soroptimist International of Oak Harbor and others stood outside grocery stores and handed out wish lists to shoppers for items like peanut butter, cereal, canned produce and boxed pastas.

Deputy Director Eric Mager said this year the group received about 1,500 food items during the fundraiser, which is 500 fewer than last year. Despite the decrease in numbers, Mager still appreciates the donations.

“It’s definitely a big help,” he said.

Wieman and Mager said they’ve noticed a clear increase in need this year. Last month, the Help House gave out about 550 boxes of food to the hungry, which Wieman said is the second highest number in Help House history. About two to five new people per day are coming in to sign up for food.

Though there are claims that the economy is starting to pick up again, Wieman said that’s not evident here.

The summer months are some of the most difficult for the organization. Wieman said community support is amazing, but noted that people are busy with vacations, camps and other activities and forget about the needy.

“People are hungry 365 days a year,” Wieman said. “Our fat, dumb, happy time is during the holidays.”

The Help House has had to spend about three times more money on food this year to keep the warehouse stocked compared to last year. It’s open weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to receive donations and is located at 1091 SE Hathaway St. in Oak Harbor.

Mager said an easy way to pitch in is to bring in extra fruits and vegetables from summer gardens. The best time to drop off donations is in the morning.

To continue the “Christmas in July” spirit, Island Drug is offering its customers 5 percent off certain gift shop purchases for every non-perishable food item they bring in (up to 40 percent), from July 26 to 31. Visit www.islanddrug.com for more information.