South Whidbey Elementary students are collecting donations of non-perishable food and personal items for the Good Cheer Food Bank until Dec. 16.

A donation barrel will be in the lobby of South Whidbey Elementary K-4 school campus building.

“The kids do it every year and they still get to come by the school and drop it off and put it in the bins. It’s a good thing, especially this year,” said Kim Glandon, who works at the school district.

Suggested donations include canned meat, rice, peanut butter, powdered milk and other nonperishable items.

Carol Squire, executive director of Good Cheer, said other food items like gluten free, sugar free and dairy alternatives are often in low supply and would be helpful.

Squire said the food bank also needs personal items that are not typically thought of for food banks, such as shampoo and soap.

Squire said that need is beginning to increase as is typical during the holiday season, but that numbers are generally lower than they were last year. She said pandemic relief programs like rent assistance and food stamps may have played a role in lower numbers of people coming to the food bank for help.

“We don’t have the monthly totals yet but there was slight increase at end of last month,” Squire said.