A traditional summertime food drive on North Whidbey brought in less food and donations than anticipated during a time when the need remains high.

North Whidbey Help House held its “Christmas in July” food drive and collected $15,000 in cash along with 9,400 food items.

By comparison, last year’s version of the food drive collected $20,500 in cash and 11,560 food donations.

Jean Wieman, executive director for the North Whidbey Help House, said she isn’t sure why fewer donations came in as opposed to 2011. It could be that the struggling economy is catching up to Whidbey Island.

One thing is for certain, demand is staying consistent at the food bank. Over the past three months organizers put together 600 food baskets that fed between 1,500 and 1,600 people, Wieman said, noting that the food bank is seeing larger families coming in seeking help.

The North Whidbey food bank conducts a summer food drive because it is normally a slow time of the year for donations.

Wieman said people have been a bit more frugal with their donations. Somebody who would chip in $50 in previous years provided $25 this year, for example.

The food bank also purchases meat, produce and items to cover any shortfalls may come up. Help House purchases food from local grocery stores — Albertsons, Safeway and the Navy commissary — and from Pioneer Food Buying Service, which is a Seattle nonprofit that, among other things, sells canned goods and dry groceries to food banks around the region.

The costs local food banks are paying for food has also been increasing over the year.

Wieman said that through July 2012, North Whidbey  Help House spent $38,000 on food. Through the same period last year, Help House had spent only $22,000 on food purchases.

The situation is similar in Coupeville where Molly Hughes, who helps operate the Gifts from the Heart food bank in Coupeville, said she’s seen a 30 percent increase in the money paid for food. She said the cost of food has been increasing throughout the year, even before the drought in the Midwest started affecting food prices.

She said the Central Whidbey food bank has benefited from cash donations even though their food donations have also been down. Like Help House, Gifts from the Heart also purchases food from local stores and receives food from the local farmer’s market.  Nearly a third of its food comes from Northwest Harvest, which supplies food banks throughout the state.

To make a donation in Oak Harbor, stop by Help House at 1091 SE Hathaway St., in the old part of town about a block up from Pioneer Way. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday  Cash donations can also be mailed to the Help House address.

Donations for Gifts from the Heart can be dropped off at Prairie Center Red Apple, the Coupeville Post Office and the Coupeville branch of Whidbey Island Bank.