When the Salvation Army Food Shelf served about 450 families in June, case manager Lori Espe thought it was a one-month spike.

Need at the food shelf dropped to 350 families in July, which was closer to the 250-300 families served on an average month in the summer of 2013. Since then, the food shelf’s need has increased again. In August, the food shelf served 457 households and about 1,247 people, and it served 416 families and 1,120 people in September.

���The demand has been up,” Espe said.

Food shelves like the Salvation Army traditionally see a gap in fundraising and donations from May to October, when many holiday drives begin. This year, the increased demand at the food shelf is making some items scarce at the food shelf.

The Salvation Army stocks roughly 20 food categories. It’s currently low on canned vegetables, especially peas, carrots and sweat potatoes. It’s also low on canned beans, like pork and beans and kidney beans; canned and condensed milk; and it’s low on canned meat like tuna, chicken and Spam.

While Espe said she’s hoping that the need goes down, she wants people who need food assistance to continue coming to the food shelf.

“If they have a need we want to be able to help them,” she said.

Espe said they’ve already had a few drives donate to the food shelf recently, but the food has gone quickly. Anyone looking to host a food drive can do so and donate items to the Salvation Army.

“If they’re thinking of doing a food drive, we would really appreciate them just going ahead and doing that,” Espe said

The Salvation Army can pick up food from a drive with its truck, but Espe asked that a request for a pickup be made several days in advance.

Monetary donations are also used to buy food from Channel One Food Bank in Rochester.

The Salvation Army will soon be taking applications for its annual Thanksgiving Baskets program, which served about 255 people last year. The Salvation Army also hosts an annual Thanksgiving meal.